Unstitch My Seams
by TheBeautyOfTheGrave
Summary: Draco is in love with Hermione, but how does she feel about him? And how does everyone else react? I suck at summaries xD Please read and review. Rated T for infrequent swearing LOL. My first Dramione fic so please no flames!
1. Glory of a Storm

Ok, this is just going to be a one shot (I think…) Hope it's ok, I have tried to portray the characters as best I can, though Malfoy is different…

Ok, Malfoy is very VERY OOC but in my mind, he'll always be this way!!

So, this story is a HG/DM love story. Please read, review and by all means criticise!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, only this particular storyline is mine. Everything else belongs to J.K.Rowling.

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The halls were quiet. A spectacular storm was taking place, one of great glory and vigour, and every student you could think of was in one of the high towers, trying to catch a glimpse of sheer white power.

Almost every student…

Hermione Granger had seen a storm like this before. She had studied them last year in the common room and had predicted when the next one would occur…with great accuracy! Today, she was in the library, as usual.

Unlike so many other students she decided to start her Potions assignment early to get a head start on her homework. As she was researching Knowledge and Intuition Potions, she contemplated what her mind would be like if she were to brew one herself.

"No…I couldn't do that surely…could I??" she thought to herself.

Then, with a sudden wave of inspiration, she began copying down the ingredients list in her journal. Just as she finished, Professor McGonagall entered.

"My dear girl, what are you looking up those for? Heaven knows you don't need it!" she said upon noticing the open Potions Encyclopaedia.

"Oh no Professor, it's for my Potions assignment!"

"Oh yes…of course it is!" she said with a little too much sarcasm for Hermione's liking.

"Well in any case, why aren't you upstairs with the rest of your friends? The storm is tremendous you know, it would be a shame to miss it. It's a special type of storm you see, most people only get one chance in a lifetime to see it. They all look the same of course. You know sometimes I swear it's like the same storm being repeated over and over again! Though of course --"

Hermione interrupted her before she went on a ramble.

"I've seen the storm before Professor."

"Oh yes, of course, there was that storm last year. That was rather out of place in my opinion, shouldn't really have happened then. How did you predict it then?"

"Well I um…I can't really remember Professor, I'm sorry."

"Well that's OK, let me know if you do remember. I'll leave you to it."

"Goodnight Professor."

"Goodnight Miss Granger."

As before, Hermione continued with her assignment, unmoved by Professor McGonagall's words. She sat alone for quite some time, writing her essay and listening to the roar of the thunder and yells of awe by her fellow students somewhere above her.

Even though she had seen the storm before, she longed to join her friends.

"It may look the same," she thought, "but last time I was on my own. It'd be more enjoyable with Harry and Ron."

At this thought, and the thought that her essay wasn't in for another week or so, she packed up her books and journal and started the long trek back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

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This is only a short chapter, mainly because I know I hate it when chapters are really really REALLY long…

So let me know what you think and whether I should continue or not.


	2. Nightly Rounds

The blonde haired Slytherin was doing the rounds with his group of snot nosed cronies. This was a nightly occurrence for them. Draco ordered his underlings about whilst preying on innocent first years who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

He never meant any real harm. It was simply fun. At least…that's what he told himself. Heaven knows he wasn't as everyone perceived him. In his heart of hearts, his deepest secret was, he longed to just be normal. To no longer hide under the fierce façade of his father. In his opinion, normality was completely underrated! 

It wasn't that he was a sissy or, god forbid, weak. He was just fed up of the tough guy approach his father had given him. It was all a lie. 

He did like ordering people around of course, that he couldn't lie about. People always did what he told them to do; there was no problem with that!

It was only the 'famous three' and their followers who disobeyed him. Still, 20 out of the whole school wasn't bad. Besides, very soon they would all do what he said, teachers and students alike. 

Draco scoffed. He despised Potter and his ginger and Mudblood friends. Potter was only famous for a scar, he's no hero. He was a baby, he didn't do anything to fight Voldemort, he simply got lucky. So much fuss caused over the 'boy who lived', well good for him!

"Good for nothing show off!" he thought bitterly to himself.

And that Weasley scum is no better. Everyone things he shines, 'Good old Ron!' Pah! The only thing that shines about him is that greasy ginger mop!

"Don't even get me started on that filthy little Mudblood!" he thought to himself again, this time evermore bitter.

The joke of the school. Malfoy never did understand how a school as glorious and elite as Hogwarts could ever stoop so low as to enrol filthy little ferrets such as Mudbloods. It made him sick! Especially Granger.

He felt nauseous just thinking of that thick brunette hair and those deep emerald eyes… 

Draco shook himself.

"Curse these thoughts!"

He carried on perusing the school, making his way eastward towards the Gryffindor Tower.


	3. Shiver

From the corridors she could clearly see the storm, yet she walked faster, not wanting to miss time with her friends. She cursed herself for spending so much time in the library studying and not enough time with Harry and Ron. 

In her rage at herself, she blindly turned a corner, not noticing, surprisingly, Crabbe and Goyle and crashing straight into them.

"Oi Mudblood! Watch it! Apologise now!" Goyle screamed at her.

"Why should I? You're the one who is in the way!" Hermione retorted.

Overhearing their slanging match, Malfoy entered, coming to see which Mudblood they had stumbled across. Or rather into. Normally he would have recognised that stern tone of voice, but as she spoke thunder rang out, making her inaudible.

"You two, what's going on?" he yelled.

"Well…we -- " they began.

"Ah Granger! How nice of you to join us. I was just thinking of you!"

"I'm flattered, truly!" she said sarcastically.

"Not like that you little witch!"

"Oh no, you called me a witch…I'm so utterly offended!"

"Shut up! What are you doing here anyway?"

"What are _you _doing here?"

"I asked you first!"

"That is such an immature response Malfoy!"

Draco quivered as she said his name.

"Damn it" he thought.

Crabbe laughed at Hermione's retort.

"Oh cos you're so --" he began.

"Crabble, Goyle!" Malfoy yelled, "Go back to the common room now!"

They grunted yet obeyed their orders. Hermione looked confused as to why he had sent them away. And now they were on their own…

"What are you up to Malfoy?"

He shivered again.

"I'm not up to anything, they just annoyed me!"

"Okay…so what are we doing now?" Hermione said, wanting to leave yet curious enough to stay.

At the word 'we' Malfoy shivered yet again. He grumbled to himself.

"This is just getting stupid now!" he thought.

Though it pained him to admit, he had been acting like this for three years now, ever since she punched him on the way to Hagrids. That is why he hated her so much, not because she was a Mudblood. 

He hated her because she was different; he hated her because he knew that she saw straight through his mask, straight into his soul. He hated her…

…because he loved her.

And finally, they were all alone…


	4. Lightening Strike

"Obviously there is something you wanted to tell me, otherwise you wouldn't have sent your little cronies away!" 

"I didn't send them away for your sake!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"What!" he shrieked.

"Nothing Malfoy, nothing…"

shiver "So…where were you going?" Draco asked, desperate to keep the conversation going.

"Not that it's any of your business but I was on my way back to the common room. What about you? Just randomly walking around looking for innocent first years to slaughter?" 

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione sighed.

"Tell me something Malfoy…"

shiver

"…are you remotely capable of answering a question without another question?"

"Are you?"

At this Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed onwards. In order to carry on, she had to get past Malfoy. 

"No wait, don't go Hermione!"

"Damn it!" he thought, "I've never called her Hermione before. Oh God…"

At the sound of her name she turned on her heel and stared at Draco. Very slowly, she walked back towards him, until they were less than a metre apart.

"Give me a reason to stay Draco…"

Now they were even, they had both called each other by their first names. The scene was slowly but surely becoming much more intimate in Draco's eyes. 

"Well…?" Hermione said, getting impatient.

"Well what?"

"Give me a reason to stay!"

"Okay."

At this, the sound of her voice, her face close to his and the sudden glint in her eyes, he leaned closer. Whilst walking forward and placing his hands on her hips, he never broke his gaze, nor did he breathe.

The brightest, most powerful strike of lightening struck as their lips touched… 


	5. Realisation

It took Hermione a good minute or so to comprehend what was happening. In this short time she went from being shocked, to confused, to downright insulted, and then finally, she was floating. 

That is until thunder roared again, waking her fro her naively blissful trance. Suddenly, she remembered which slimeball had attached itself to her lips. 

As she pushed him away, she withdrew her wand from her pocket and shoved it into his throat.

"MALFOY!"

He sighed and felt annoyed. They were back to surnames again. 

"What they HELL do you think you were doing?"

"Please Hermione. Its --"

"It's Miss Granger to you!"

"Look its not like you didn't return the kiss! I could feel your heart beating heavily beneath mine so you can't deny you didn't enjoy it!"

"I…I…you surprised me that's all! Don't flatter yourself!"

"Hey Hermione…"

He stopped as she glared at him. He sighed and continued.

"Miss Granger, the number of first years I scare, believe me, I know the difference between a shocked heartbeat and an excited one."

"You know, using yourself beating up First Years as an analogy is hardly going to get yourself in my good books!"

"Well you see, that's the thing…something tells me I'm already in your good books…"

At this he looked at her and pressed his hand to her heart, only to find that it was still beating fast and heavily. 

Hermione cried out in disgrace.

"You filthy horny little maggot, get off me!"

He quickly withdrew his hand, realising to his horror (and slight pleasure) he had placed it slightly to the left of her heart…

Gracefully, considering her rage, Hermione pivoted and began to storm off. 

"Don't forget your books!"

"What?" Hermione yelled, turning around. She was shocked that he dare speak to her again. Then she noticed all the books she had been carrying were on the floor. She had dropped them when Malfoy kissed her.

Not because she was shocked, but because her arms were wrapped around him tightly. He smiled as she remembered…


	6. Anger and Longings

Just a short chapter this one…

Just a short chapter this one…

Hermione stormed up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Hey Hermione, where have you been?" Ginny cried as she entered.

"Nowhere, what's it to you??" Hermione cried twice as loud back.

"Umm…nothing, we just wondered where you were that's all…" she replied sheepishly.

"Well don't! I can take care of myself thank you very much!"

Then she stormed off to her bed and drew the curtains around her four poster retreat. Even with her face buried deep in her pillow, she could hear the muffled voices outside. The worried whispers of her friends.

"Oh well…I'll apologise to them tomorrow!" she thought to herself.

Meanwhile in the Slytherin Common Room

Draco sat for a while on his windowsill, staring aimlessly at the storm, which was beginning to die down. Much like his spirit.

As soon as he entered his dorm he ordered everyone out. He wanted to be alone. Only by himself could he relish in what had just happened, both the highs and the lows. Only by himself could he concoct a plan, a plan that would give him Hermione.

Though he didn't fully realise his feelings before, he now knew that he would do anything to have her. Her kiss, however much she denied its passion, had awakened something within him. A deep longing he never knew he even had.

To stifle this longing, to fulfil his dreams… he would do simply anything…


	7. Broom Cupboard Antics

Hermione heard the cries and shouts of the Slytherins long before she saw them

Hermione heard the cries and shouts of the Slytherins long before she saw them. Triumphant players running off the Quidditch field after completely pummelling Hufflepuff. She knew Malfoy would turn the corner any minute.

Quickly and quietly, she ran back down the corridor and dived into the nearest broom cupboard. She waited for a while until she was sure the voices had passed by. Softly, she placed her hand on the door knob, only to have it ripped away from her as the door was flung open.

Thinking it was Madame Hooch clearing away the brooms from the match, she rapidly began to apologise. This was an apology she had often practised in the mirror, just to make absolutely sure she got her facial expressions perfect.

"Oh Madame Hooch, I'm terribly…" her voice trailed away. Eyes which were wide open in fright now turned to thin slits as she saw who was standing before her.

"Hermione…" whispered Draco, walking towards her. She put her hand out to stop him as he was pushing her further into the cupboard.

Like the night they first kissed, he never broke his gaze, but looked deep into her eyes. He lifted his hand and gently wrapped it around hers. At this, Hermione snatched away her hand, causing Draco to be pulled further forward. With his free hand, he closed and locked the door.

There was an awkward silence as the two of them stared at each other, one gaze full of longing and wander, the other full of hatred, fear and an unknown emotion, an emotion Hermione wasn't familiar with.

Tired of the silence he had so often received from Hermione, he smiled coyly at her and simply said, "Hi!"

"Hi…? That's it? You trapped me in a broom cupboard to say hi?"

"Well I… I mean, no. Not just hi," he paused for a moment, pondering how to express what he felt, "I mean I miss you. Come on Hermione, it's been 3 weeks!"

"And here I was hoping our separation would last longer!"

"You don't mean that Hermione…"

"Who are you to say that? You're not in my head! You don't know what I feel! I--"

"I know what you felt that night of the storm!" he interrupted, "I know what you were thinking. I know you were surprised, shocked even disgusted as first but then you changed! I felt it Hermione! I felt it in the way your kiss changed! I felt it in the way your lips moved in sync with mine! I felt it in the way your heartbeat faltered! I felt it…"

Again the silence returned. Hermione lowered her head, desperately trying to hide the moisture that had escaped from her eyes.

She failed.

"Hermione…" Draco said softly as he placed his hand delicately on her cheek, wiping away a single salty tear.

His hands were not rough as she had expected them to be. They were not evil hands, but had a caring touch. Such a touch made her skin tingle.

After her tears had gone, she lifted her head so that she faced Malfoy again.

His hand still lay on her cheek, stroking it gently. Hermione's breathing became heavier as she too placed her hand on his cheek, caressing it just as gently. Draco smiled, a smile that made her knee's go weak and made her heart skip a beat.

For a moment they stood like this, leaning so close that their foreheads touched, resting on one another.

"This is it!" thought Draco, this was the moment, the kiss he had been waiting 3 years for. The kiss where they both accepted their feelings.

"Though nothing ever goes to plan!" Draco suddenly thought. Their lips were only gently touching when the door began to rattle. Luckily though, he'd locked it.

Suddenly, from the other side of the door 'Alohamora!' was cried out by Ronald Weasley.


	8. Interruptions

Shocked, as she began to comprehend who stood beyond the door, Hermione withdrew herself from Draco's grasp and slipped into the shadows at the back of the cupboard.

She did this just in time as less than two second later, the door was flung open in Ron's clumsy manner. He stumbled and tripped over his broom as he saw Malfoy standing there. To him, it looked as if he had been crying, but was trying desperately hard to hide it.

Draco, who obviously was trying to hide the redness of his eyes, regained his stern expression.

"Weasley! What do you want?!"

"Well Malfoy, what could I possibly want with a broom cupboard hmm?!" Ron retorted sarcastically.

"Normally I would say don't get smart with me, but you Weasley's don't need to be told do you!"

Ron scowled at this.

"Are you at all capable of any human interaction Malfoy or can you only speak in insults?!"

"Are you at all capable of answering a question without another question?!"

Hermione giggled as quietly as she could as she remembered herself saying the very same thing to Malfoy.

"What do you mean answering a question…you didn't ask me one!"

"Whatever Weasley. Just get out of here!"

"Why should I? I have to put my broom away!"

At this, Ron stepped forward. He was getting dangerously close to where Hermione was standing.

"No, put it in another cupboard!" screamed Draco, diverting his attention.

"I don't want to, this one is closer!"

"Well fine then if you're gonna be lazy, I'll put it away for you, just leave!"

Ron stood for a while, as did Draco.

"Well that's awfully kind of you Malfoy…but I'm curious," Ron paused for effect, "You're willing to be nice to me and give up the 'badass' attitude for a while, yet you're not willing to be seen with Hermione… why is that?"


	9. Little Lies and Harmful Horseplay

Just wanted to say thanks to the reviews I've received, very encouraging thanks

Just wanted to say thanks to the reviews I've received, very encouraging thanks! Hope you like these next few chapters!

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Silence.

Once again, nothing but silence. Not even Hermione's heavy breathing could be heard from where she stood, hidden from view. Draco moved slightly, rocking from foot to foot in a very uncomfortable fashion. Ron smiled deviously.

"Well? Come on Malfoy, don't go all shy on me!" Ron threw his broom onto a shelf and folded his arms over his chest, "I mean, it's not like you to be lost for words…"

He paused.

"…nor is it like Hermione!" At this, he looked to the back of the cupboard. "Come on, Mione, don't be shy!"

Hermione slowly walked forward, emerging from the shadows. Shyly, she smiled and giggled, in a very overzealous way.

"Hi…hi Ron…how are you??" she giggled again.

"I'm fine! I'm great! Yer I'm perfect. You see, I just discovered a secret about one of my best friends. A secret I have been sure about for quite some time…almost say, 3 weeks!" He looked at Draco. "You see, 3 weeks ago, there was this glorious storm, you may remember," he said this in a very sarcastic tone, too sarcastic for Draco's liking, "and I was wondering where my dear friend Hermione had gotten to…so, I went to the library, she wasn't there, I went to the clock tower, she wasn't there, I went to Professor McGonagall's office, she wasn't there! So after wondering aimlessly around the entire school, I just o happened to stumble upon a couple kissing. Rather passionately. Now tell me, how many bushy haired and bleach blonde coloured sixth years are there in this school hmm?"

"Wow, you know Weasley I really underestimated you! I can't believe you actually figured this out, this sordid affair between me and Hermione!" To emphasise his point he moved closer to Hermione and touched her arm.

Almost immediately she cast off his arm and moved away.

"Ron, there is nothing going on between me and Malfoy!"

Draco hated this. She said his name with such disdain, such contempt. And once again they were back to surnames. He loved her, he loved the Hermione who had just been with him in the broom cupboard, the one who finally understood how she really felt about him.

And despite how much he hated what she had just done, he still loved her, even though she had just ruined their perfect romance.

"I mean honestly, could you even imagine me with Malfoy, with this…this slimy little excuse of a man! You know there are other bushy haired girls in this year!" Hermione screamed at Ron. She scoffed as she looked at Draco.

Draco in return shook his head and looked at Hermione. God how she hated that look! That look where he saw straight into her soul, straight into her mind, straight into what she was thinking!

He felt tears rising in his eyes and felt ashamed. She'd hurt him.

And yet, whether to show his affection for her or simply to hurt her back, he leaned in and kissed her, simply on the cheek. And then he turned and walked out.

Later that night, in the solitude of his room, the slimy little excuse of a man cried over the only girl he had ever loved.


	10. Disappearing Act

Before I continue, I would just like to say that this entire story is dedicated to my dear friend Vikki, who seems to enjoy it

Before I continue, I would just like to say that this entire story is dedicated to my dear friend Vikki, who seems to enjoy it. Whether she really likes it or just pities me I don't care as it makes me smile : Thanks dah-ling for your intuitive input!

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"Turn to Page 733 all of you!" The slimy haired teacher yelled to his tired class. He moved around the room slowly, scanning the faces of his students, half of them listening intently whilst the other half tried desperately to stay awake. "Mr Weasley, that includes you!"

Ron started, jumping so high he knocked his quill and ink onto the floor, coating Professor Snape's left shoe in the dark runny substance. Snape sighed, rolled his eyes and flicked his foot numerous times until most of the ink was on Ron's school bag.

"Thank you sir…" Ron said sighing.

"Your very welcome, now, turn to Page 733! I want all of you to do the Questions."

"All of them, sir?" Hermione inquired.

"Yes Miss Granger, ALL of them! Come on get going. You have 20 minutes!"

Ron raised his hand.

"What is it Mr Weasley?" Snape said, sounding too tired to care.

"Please sir, I need some more ink."

"Well don't ask me! Do I look like an ink merchant? Malfoy! Lend him some!"

Nobody moved, nobody spoke.

"Malfoy!?" Again nobody spoke. "Where the devil is that boy?"

Crabbe stood up and cleared his throat.

"We haven't seen him all morning sir. Come to think of it, we haven't seen him all week sir!"

Hermione sat bolt upright. 'All week?' she mouthed, to no one in particular. It had been one week ago Ron had burst in on them in the broom cupboard and interrupted their kiss. That is assuming they were going to kiss…

Hermione knew she had hurt him when she denied that they were together. Yes, they had been together that first night, physically speaking, but emotionally, mentally…? In Draco's eyes maybe. Hermione was still unsure as too how she felt. Draco certainly seemed very sure about her feelings for him, though she wasn't sure where he got his ideas from. As far as she knew she felt nothing but contempt for him. In the broom cupboard, he had startled her. She was confused, he was saying all these things to her and he sounded so serious, so convincing that he almost convinced her. Almost. Lucky Ron had walked in before she made a second mistake.

Despite her lack of feelings for him, she was still worried as to his whereabouts, and as to why he wasn't there. Nevertheless, she continued with her work, as did the rest of the class.

At odd intervals she looked up to find Ron staring at her. As soon as he met her eyes he returned to his work, but she knew exactly what he was thinking. For she was thinking the same.

As soon as the bell rang, Hermione threw her books on the desk and ran out towards the dungeons.


	11. Devilish Deals and Deeds

Hermione was stumped

Hermione was stumped. She had searched the entire school, high and low, looking for Draco, yet she couldn't find him. His usual hideouts, the Quidditch pitch, the common room, the clock tower and the courtyards, were all free of any trace of Draco or his cronies.

So, tired of looking for him, she returned to the library to work on her project. After grabbing her favourite table and finding the books she needed, she began work on her DADA project. A few minutes passed before she was interrupted.

"Excuse me miss, can I share this book with you?"

That voice…she recognised it though the tone had changed. She looked up to be confronted with a sight she never thought she would see. Sleeves that were normally rolled up were now full length and his frayed vest had been replaced with a new clean one. His shoes were no longer caked in dirt and mud but were gleaming. This glimmer was reflected in bright new thick rimmed glasses placed sophisticatedly on his head. This, plus his slicked back hair, gave him a look of ultimate superiority and intelligence, a look not often seen on the face of a Slytherin.

"Draco…?" Hermione whispered shocked and flabbergasted at who stood before her.

Draco smiled and chuckled.

"Hi!"

"Hi…what are you wearing Draco??" she sighed, looking him up and down.

"Oh this? It's all new! Do you like it?" he asked.

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. His voice…he'd changed it. She'd read about something like this before. There was a spell that could change someone's voice to whatever they wanted. Clearly, Malfoy had cast this to make his sound more posh, more intelligent.

"I…" Hermione hesitated.

"Yer I thought you would. I thought of you as I got them. Knew you'd be pleased!"

"Yer you look um…you look great…but…why?"

"What do you mean why? Isn't it obvious? You want me to be like this. I mean lets face it sweetie, you hate the way I used to be so I thought what the hell, what have I got to loose? My friends? They're not worth it, not compared to you! I don't care if I loose them. You know I would much rather have you! And this is what you want Hermione. This is what you want from me I know it is!"

"No, no you don't. I never said I wanted this Malfoy." Hermione said, shaking her head slowly.

"Well you didn't need to say it. I've told you Hermione, I know what you are thinking!!"

Hermione said nothing.

"Well, you'll come around to the idea of a new me darling." Draco whispered.

"Don't call me darling or sweetie ok? Please Draco!"

"Ok, I won't," he said, "…yet!"

Hermione, wanting to move on, decided to ignore this comment and carried on with her work. Draco stood over her, watching her intently, scrutinising everything she did. She felt awkward.

"So…you, um, wanted to borrow this book then?" she inquired, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Yes please. You see it is essential that I have that book as I need to complete my Defence Against the Dark Arts project. Rudimentary as it is, I feel that it is possible I may find it exceedingly complex to complete as I…"

Draco continued to drone on in his super intelligent slur. It appeared to Hermione that he had not only cast a Voice Alteration spell but had also brewed and, indeed, drank the Knowledge and Intuition potion that they had to research last month.

"Well, that would explain it…" she thought. Malfoy has been rather intuitive lately, considering he always 'knows' how she feels. Well, that potion would explain it!

"Argh! That boy'll stop at nothing!" she thought angrily.

And that's when she realised, he hadn't stopped. He was still ranting away in his posh voice, saying words to her she very much doubted he even knew the meaning of.

"Draco…" she said quietly. He carried on.

"Draco……" she said again, this time a little louder. Still, he did nothing. Her patience began to dwindle, severely.

"DRACO!" she yelled. This time he shut up, as did the entire library. Madame Pince shot a warning glance at her. After an uncomfortable eternity of people staring at them and whispering to each other, her fellow students gradually began to turn around and get on with whatever had previously occupied them.

During this time, Malfoy decided it was a good idea to shut up and sit down in order to maintain a low profile. Coyly, he placed himself next to Hermione and looked at the books before him, until he felt it was safe to raise his head. When he eventually did, he addressed Hermione in the same annoying formal fashion, though without most of the infuriating 'clever' vocabulary.

"Hermione, I don't quite understand --"

"Stop it!" Hermione yelled, in a stage whisper of course!

"Stop what?"

"Stop that annoying voice! Yes ok, yes I would probably like you a little more, as a FRIEND, if you were a little more aware and compassionate and pensive. But for goodness sake Draco, I didn't need you to do this! Frankly, the voice irritates me and I know that most of the time you're talking a load of waffle that not only do you not understand but I barely understand myself!"

Draco looked upset.

"Damn!" she thought, "I've hurt him again!"

"No Hermione, you haven't hurt me I just…I was only trying to make an effort!"

"Ok…I didn't say that I'd hurt you, I thought it. For the duration of this conversation could you not use your 'intuition' please!?"

"Ok, sorry…"

"Anyway, as I was saying, I'm flattered that you did this for me Draco, really I am. But it's not necessary! So please, if you can, reverse that damn spell and potion before I find some other, more unfriendly way, of shutting you up!"

Draco sighed.

"I'm sorry Hermione, for upsetting you, really I am and I'm glad you said you're flattered but I think you're a little more than flattered. I mean let's be honest!"

"Draco! Stay the HELL out of MY MIND!!" The second Hermione's shriek escaped from her delicate lips she regretted saying them. Once again the entire library was staring at her. She decided however not to acknowledge their eyes on her. Though she was ignoring them, she still lowered her voice.

"Draco, please. Just do what you can!"

Despite the sincerity of her voice he still didn't sound convinced that he should undo it.

"Ok, Draco, I'll make you a little deal. If you reverse that spell and potion and stop trying to impress/humiliate me, then I'll help you with your DADA project. Do we have an accord?"

"Well, you see the problem with that is that, if I don't do as you ask and I keep the Knowledge and Intuition I've gained, then I'll be able to complete it anyway. So really, you have nothing to offer me in this deal! Up the ante and maybe I'll agree!"

"Ok, how about this…" Hermione shivered. She couldn't believe what she was about to say. But if it made him leave her be, it was worth it, "if you reverse the spell and potion and leave me alone etc. then I will help you with your DADA project, and…"

"Yes…" Draco said, with his powers of intuition he knew what she was going to say.

"Still," he thought to himself, "there will be nothing sweeter than hearing her say it herself!"

"…and, when we've finished the project, you can kiss me…"

He smiled, a smile of utter delight and enthralment. He resembled a small child at Christmas, ecstatic as they unwrapped a present, one they had been working on for a while, to find inside exactly what they wanted. Though Draco wanted more…

"A kiss…is that all?"

He said nothing more for a moment, but left her to stew in silence.

"Well what more do you want from me Malfoy?"

He thought for a while, thinking of the best way to say what he wanted. Yet he also pondered as to why she had suddenly switched back to 'Malfoy'…

"You know what I want from you Hermione…" he said, in a purely tasteful way. Though this implied more, Draco didn't just want this side of Hermione, he simply wanted her company and companionship. He wanted to be with her mentally as well as physically. A kiss simply wouldn't cut it unless there was feeling behind it.

"Right now Malfoy, you're lucky that you're still alive! So if I were you I wouldn't get cocky and I would accept my offer or its nothing at all!"

"Well that's fine by me as I know I will get you soon enough anyway. What I'm worried about is how long you can continue to function and think with me breathing down your neck in this annoying fashion all day, every day…"

After a while of rolling this thought around in her mind, she said, with much regret, "Fine, a kiss, and then we'll see what happens."

By this point, Hermione looked close to tears. Draco was infuriated with himself for upsetting her but she had to see. She had to learn, one way or another, that very soon, she would be his.

"Tomorrow, meet me by the statue that leads to Honeydukes at midnight. Don't be late!"

"Wait, midnight! You must be mad! We're not allowed out of bed and if we get caught…!"

"So…bring Harry's invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map! You'll be fine, see you there." He stood up to leave, then hesitated for a second. He slowly bent down, pressed his lips softly on her ear and whispered, in a rather enticing manner, "I can't wait darling!"

He gently nibbled her ear as he rose, flashed her a playful smile and wondered nonchalantly out of the library.

Hermione looked around quickly, trying to see if anyone had observed what Draco had just done. Luckily though, no-one had seen a thing.

Thank goodness for thick hair!


	12. Moonlit Meetings

Hermione hated sneaking around behind Harry's back

Hermione hated sneaking around behind Harry's back but she needed his cloak and the Marauders Map. She couldn't just ask him for them; it would invite too many questions, questions she was afraid to answer. So she had no choice.

Ron and Harry had gone to bed early that night. They'd spent all day on the Quidditch field and were exhausted. So, after the common room had emptied and all the boys had gone to bed, Hermione gathered up all her courage, walked up the stairs and turned left into the boys' dormitory.

Prior knowledge told her that Harry kept his cloak and the Marauders Map at the very bottom of his trunk. She would have to be as silent as possible.

The lid creaked as she opened it and Harry stirred in his sleep, yet made no sound. She continued rummaging until her hand felt the familiar soft silky texture of the invisibility cloak beneath her, and heard the crumple of the aged map concealed within the folds of the cloak.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the trunk and turned, silently, headed for the door.

"Booty call is it?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes in a defeated manner at the sound of Ron's voice. She turned around to see him sat bolt upright in his bed.

"Well, are we sneaking off to see our lover??"

"No Ronald," she said, using his full Christian name as she often did when lecturing him, "because I don't have a lover, nor am I sneaking anywhere!"

"Then what's with the cloak? Cold were you?"

"If you must know Ronald I was going to the library, the restricted section in particular to find a book that I happen to know is there and that will help me greatly with my DADA essay!"

"Oh right, why on earth would I think anything different hmm?!"

"You know what Ronald I really don't have time for this nor do I have a need to stay here and be questioned by the likes of you, Ok! I'm going to go to the library now and you will go to bed and get a good night sleep and we'll meet tomorrow at breakfast. Goodnight!"

At this she stormed, quietly, out of the dormitory and down the stairs. By the light of the fire, she tapped the Marauders Map, stated 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good!' and threw the cloak over her head. Checking no-one was outside, she hastily threw open the portrait and stormed down the stairs towards the One-Eyed Witch statue that lead to Honeydukes.

Luckily for her, only one person was out of place and it wasn't a teacher. Unluckily for her, it was Draco.

Obviously, due to her invisibility, Draco didn't see her coming. Thus he was somewhat surprised when she came up to him and pushed him into the statue, which he then toppled over and landed flat on the floor.

"Was that really necessary Hermione?" He looked in the general direction of the push and raised his hands to feel for the cloak.

"Hey! Keep your hands to yourself Malfoy!" she snapped as he began to grope for the cloak. Tired of him doing this unsuccessfully, she pulled the cloak off herself.

Draco smiled.

"Much better!"

Hermione scoffed.

"Can we just get started please?"

"Oh…someone's a little eager!"

"The sooner we start this Malfoy the sooner it's over and I can get back to the common room."

"Fine." He said quietly. Hermione noticed at this point, much to her liking that he had reversed the spell and potion. He sounded normal again, if that was possible!

"Lets get going then!" Draco said, opening the statue and beginning to climb in.

"Wait, are we actually going to Honeydukes?? I thought we were just meeting here to go to the library or something!"

"Well Hermione if we were going to go to the library don't you think we would have met in the library!? Now come on, get in!"

Reluctantly, Hermione climbed down the ladder into the passage way.

They walked for a while in silence and Hermione could feel Draco's eyes upon her. Self conscious as she felt, she continued to walk on, until Draco pulled her down a small tunnel, one she hadn't noticed before.

"Huh…I've never been down here before. Has this always been here?"

Draco shook his head. "No…well yes it has actually. My great great great grandfather had it built when he was here. Only a Malfoy can utter the password for it to be revealed."

"Well, aren't we modern!" Hermione scoffed.

"Come on darling," Draco said, rolling his eyes, "it's just down here!"

He paused and turned around when he realised Hermione had stopped walking.

"What?!" He said impatiently.

"What did you call me??"

"Sorry!" Draco sighed, "Please just hurry up, we don't have a lot of time!"

Hermione wondered why their time was so limited, but said nothing and continued behind Draco. He led her into a large room to the left of them. To her surprise it was full of books. Cases and cases of books…and dust. Draco caught Hermione admiring them.

"Do you like them?"

"Are they yours?" she asked slowly.

"What do you think darl-, I mean Hermione?"

She didn't think Malfoy would read all these book, plus there were some real classics hidden amongst them. Though judging by the dust they could be his and he's just never read them.

"Honestly Draco…I have no idea!"

"No they're not mine," he laughed, "but someday they will be, when my father dies."

"I see…" Hermione trailed off. She was still gazing in awe at the books. Many of them she had only ever heard about, didn't even know if they really existed or if they were just a myth. Yet here they were, in the flesh…so to speak.

"You know, I'd love to let you come down here anytime and read them but I really can't give you the password cos, well you know, you're not a Malfoy…"

"…yet" he said quietly to himself.

Hermione, though distracted by the books, had heard what Draco said, and saw through what he was saying.

"Let's just do this project OK Malfoy!"

"OK" he said, sitting beside her in front of a large ornate oak table in the centre of the room. As he sat down he caught a sniff of her hair, her beautiful bushy hair that smelt of lilacs, always.

And so, they continued to work like this for the rest of the night. He, transfixed by who sat beside him and she, bedazzled by the books before her, helping them with the project.

They continued like this that is, until they were interrupted…


	13. Astronomical Aftermath

"Excuse me…" someone said, clearing their throat as they entered the room

I've just been reading over the previous chapters and I noticed some of the first sentences had repeated themselves…and I don't really know why but I apologise :

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"Excuse me…" someone said, clearing their throat as they entered the room.

Instinctively, Hermione swore, very quietly, and ducked under the table, thinking it was Ron or someone else who could identify her. Draco laughed and touched her shoulder.

"Hermione it's OK, he knows!"

She stood up and looked in the direction of the voice to see none other than Professor Snape standing before her, sheltered in the doorway. Shocked, she looked at Draco, then to Snape, then back to Draco again.

"I thought you said only Malfoys knew the password!" she yelled at Draco.

"They do, but I left the passageway open for Professor Snape so that he could come and get us when it is ready! Which I assume it is now Professor?"

"Yes, now hurry up! We haven't got all night you know!"

Draco began to pack up his books and move towards the door.

"Wait! What on earth is going on??"

"Miss Granger…" Snape began in his irritated voice, "I am sacrificing my own time here purely because Dumbledore asked me to. I have spent the best part of my day preparing this so if you would hurry up I'd be eternally grateful!"

"But I - "

"No, Miss Granger! Walk now, question later!"

At this he spun around and flicked his cape, as he often did. Malfoy followed behind him. Hermione had no choice but to gather up her books and start walking as well. When she caught up with Draco, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Dumbledore knows!?"

"Hermione dearest, you confuse me a lot… Dumbledore knows what? I was under the impression, or should I say I was under your impression that there was nothing to know! Therefore I don't see why Dumbledore should or shouldn't know what is or isn't going on between us! Shall we continue walking…?"

He didn't wait to hear her answer but grasped her hand in his and returned to following Snape. She had no idea where they were going, though she did know they were headed back towards the statue of the One-Eyed Witch.

Much to her surprise, the second she climbed through the statue, Snape flicked his wand and blindfolded her. She struggled as she felt Draco's hands on her arms, guiding her.

"Hey! What the - "

"Ok Hermione now I know this seems a little cruel but it's not what you think! I just don't want you to see where we're going OK! Do you trust me?"

"Oh now that's the question of the year!" she said, distraught.

"Come on Hermione. Please trust me! You know I'd never hurt you!"

Despite their history, Hermione believed him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, not intentionally.

"Ok fine," she said, "but please, be careful!"

"I will be!" he whispered. He gave her a little reassuring squeeze and she could tell he was enjoying every minute of this. For a second she forgot herself and began to smile. Luckily, for her, she quickly coughed and regained her mundane unhappy face.

Malfoy saw this and thought how oddly sexy she looked, though he said nothing.

Instead, he continued guiding Hermione to their destination, the astronomy tower. He led her through the door out onto the concrete balcony, where lights had been levitated into midair, lit candles drifting beside them. He smiled as he looked up and saw how beautiful the night sky looked, especially now he had someone like Hermione to share it with.

He visualised how her eyes mirrored the stars perfectly, how they sparkled in much the same way. He missed those eyes, though he'd only been gazing into them less than a minute ago. He needed those shining jewels now.

After her blindfold had been removed, Hermione gasped at what surrounded her.

"Wow…" she breathed slowly. It was incredible. Not just the stars and the lights and the candles, but the table before them. It was set with an elaborate feast and two wine glasses, just for them.

"Did you do all this?" she asked Draco.

"No, Professor Snape did it actually! Though I think he had some help, is that right Professor?"

"Well…yes…" Snape coughed. "Anyway, I suppose I should leave you two alone…"

He whipped around and flicked his cloak again. "Students!" he muttered under his breath. And just like that, Hermione and Draco were alone again.

Draco walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. He indicated for Hermione to sit in it. He then proceeded to pour her a glass of wine.

"Are we allowed to drink this?!" she said, worried.

"Relax Hermione, we're 17 and Snape knows, we have permission!"

Despite this, Hermione still looked reluctant to drink, even sip it.

"Come on darling, just relax! Please…?" he pleaded with her.

He had called her darling again. It pained her slightly to admit that she was starting to get used to, even enjoy, his company and the way he treated her. She felt wanted, she felt special and she liked it.

Finally she started to relax and took a sip of her wine. Something was different about it though…

"Draco…this is red grape juice isn't it."

He laughed.

"Yes, you should have seen your face when you saw the wine bottle though! You no as much as I love you, you can be a little high maintenance sometimes, a little unwilling to let go."

Hermione stopped breathing, if only for a few seconds.

"What did you just say?"

"Look, I'm not trying to be rude but you can be a bit uptight," he was speaking in his joking voice, he didn't see that she was angry, "I still love you though, despite it!"

He laughed again. Hermione drew in some air, held it in her lungs for what seemed like an eternity, and then expelled it again.

"Yer see that…what's with that?"

"What's with what?"

"The whole 'I love you' thing…"

"What…Oh come on Hermione, I told you I loved you!"

"Not to my recollection you didn't!"

"Well wasn't it a little obvious. I mean think about it! You're not naïve Hermione! The kiss, the spell, the pet names, the moonlight dinner, would I really go through all this trouble simply cos I had a little crush? Of course not!"

"Can't you just accept my friendship? Isn't that enough? Because I mean lets face it Malfoy, that's about the best you can hope for from me!"

Draco was getting annoyed now. He had done everything he could think of to make her fall in love with him. He had spent hundreds of nights lying awake thinking about her, about how to win her, and he still wasn't enough? That was it.

"You know what Hermione, I have done everything I can think of, everything to make you fall in love with me and I was sure that this would work. I was sure that this would be it. That you would see how loving I could be, how attentive, how pensive and how fucking intelligent! I thought this was what you wanted!"

"Would you just stop! Why do you assume you always know what I want? I never said I wanted those things Malfoy, we've been over this!"

"I know! I know we have but I thought you were bluffing. I thought you wanted me to be like this. That way, I could be good, your friends would see that I was good and there would be nothing to stop us then we really could be together. It would be perfect Hermione! Are you seriously saying you don't want this?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying!"

Draco didn't know if it was just him or if Hermione was confused but he saw a glimmer of hope before him in her eyes. He took his chances. Jumping up, he ran over to her and kissed her. This was nothing like their first kiss, all those night ago.

No, this was more passionate. Even Hermione, who had tried so desperately to shut her heart off from Draco, felt the love he conveyed in this kiss. But she knew she couldn't love him like that. Wouldn't let herself love him like that.

This was too much. She pulled away from him but he walked forward and tried to kiss her again. She slapped him and he stumbled backwards.

She wasn't sure if he was whimpering because of his fall or because she had rejected him again. Either way she felt her tears well up too and had no choice but to run.

Eventually, about an hour after Hermione had left, Draco finally stood up and walked back to the table. The food remained untouched and the 'wine' still sat in the two glasses. Glasses which shone as brightly as Hermione's eyes.

In a trance, he slammed his hand down on he table and smashed the two glasses, crushing the shattered fragments in his hands. The warm blood trickling down his arm awoke him from his daze and he was shocked to see the mess he had caused.

Tears began to fill his eyes again and he couldn't bear to look at the table, the food or the glass. Gradually, he walked over to the wall surrounding the astronomy tower and sat on it.

There, balanced precariously on the highest wall of the entire school, the unfeeling Slytherin boy cried, once again, over the girl he loved.


	14. His Soul Cries Too

I don't own this song btw; it's called 'Kissing You' by Des'ree

I don't own this song by the way; it's called 'Kissing You' by Des'ree. So sweet…

As I said before, this entire story is dedicated to my friend Vikki, but this chapter in particular. Hope you like it and Happy Birthday!

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Her friends had been asleep for a long time by the time Hermione returned to the dormitory. Deciding not to wake them, she simply sat on her windowsill, thinking in the silence.

Meanwhile in the distance, another Hogwarts student sat in solitude, contemplating his options and trying to determine what lay ahead. What could he do now?

He considered the facts:

Fact number one, Hermione had rejected him once again. Well…rejected? She hadn't rejected him, she had destroyed him.

At least that's what she had tried to do. Luckily for him, his heart was protected by his love for her. Yet it was her love, or rather lack of it, which had nearly obliterated him…nearly.

"Ironic…" he thought.

Fact number two, she had slapped him. Emotional pain he was used to receiving from her, but physical, no. He wasn't sure whether she had intended to hurt him, or whether she just wanted to get away. He also wasn't sure which was worse.

Fact number three, despite everything that had happened tonight, he was still madly and hopelessly in love with her. And he knew he always would be.

"Oh God," he said to himself as tears began to form in his eyes again for the thousandth time that evening, "why does she do this to me? No woman has ever made me feel so lonely, so depressed, and so insecure! Why aren't I good enough…?"

He wiped his eyes and lowered his head to his knees.

Draco didn't know why, but just then a song popped into his head. One of his past girlfriends had loved this song, and had sung it to him whilst trying to win back his affection after a nasty break up. He had rejected her and thought she was so pathetic for crying when it was over. Now, for the first time since then, he felt guilty.

Also, for the first time, he understood what the song was about…

_**Pride can stand a thousand trials**_

_**The strong will never fall**_

_**But watching stars without you**_

_**My soul cries.**_

It wasn't only her soul that had cried, his too was howling as he looked above him, and watched the stars. Those beautiful stars that had been reflected in Hermione's beautiful eyes.

_**Heaving heart is full of pain**_

_**Oh, oooh, the aching.**_

_**Cos I'm kissing you, oh**_

_**I'm kissing you, oh!**_

_**Touch me deep, pure and true  
Gift to me forever  
Cos I'm kissing you, oh  
I'm kissing you, oh!  
**_

_**Where are you now?  
Where are you now?  
Cos I'm kissing you, oh  
I'm kissing you, oh!**_

He had been kissing her. And for those few wonderful moments, however brief they had been, he had experienced what his life could be like with her.

There was fire in their kiss, and love, he felt it whether Hermione could or not. She had made her best efforts tonight to keep him away, but what she didn't realise was that her rage had provoked him, and now he was determined, more than ever to be with her.

All he had to do now was think of his next plan of action.

He could cast a spell on her!?

"No…that wouldn't be fair…" he thought.

He could simply keep trying to win her over, though he predicted this may never happen.

He could blackmail her…force her to fall in love with him! No, that wouldn't be fair either. Plus, blackmailing her would mean he'd have to find some dirt on her, and he very much doubted there were any skeletons in Hermione Granger's closet!

He sighed and swayed ever so slightly on the wall as he did so. What if he never got her? What if he had to watch her grow up and fall in love with someone else? Someone better than him?

He looked around. If that was the case, there was always suicide…

Carefully, he peered over the edge and began to feel nauseous as he realised just how high up he was. Just one 'slip', that's all it would take and his pain would be gone. He would be at peace, in a paradise where he could watch Hermione whenever he wanted, be close to her without her being able to push him away.

He quickly pushed this idea aside. Even he wasn't cowardly enough to do this. Plus he knew that with his luck, somehow, the wondrous Madame Pomfrey would be able to bring his shattered remains back to life, and he would forever be known as 'The Boy Who Lived…But Didn't Really Want To!'

Yes, that was the type of future nickname he so craved. So this idea of suicide was quickly discarded from his mind and he shuffled further away from the edge, and onto the other side of the wall.

Unfortunately, to his bushy haired soul mate who sat on her own ledge at the other side of the school secretly watching him, his abandonment of this idea was not so clear.

With complete disregard for the noise she was making, she ran out of the room and back to the astronomy tower as fast as she could.


	15. Puzzles

I know I keep dedicating this to people and it must be really annoying but in addition to Vikki, I'd just like to mention another dear friend, Charlotte, who has also encouraged me to continue with this fic

I know I keep dedicating this to people and it must be really annoying but in addition to Vikki, I'd just like to mention another dear friend, Charlotte, who has also encouraged me to continue with this fic. Thanks dah-ling (and thanks to so many others)!

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Why? She didn't know why she was running to him, to save him or to stop him doing anything stupid. She didn't know why she suddenly cared so much about what happened to him. She didn't know why she was running as fast as she could, or why her heart was racing so quickly that it may as well have stopped altogether.

She didn't know why…she just knew she had to get there.

Horrifically unaware that the love of his life was running to be beside him, for whatever reason, Draco remained seated on the edge of the wall. His tears had vanished for the time being, though sadness still filled his heart.

After spending most of the night and indeed the morning on top of the Astronomy Tower, Draco finally decided it was time to head back to the dungeons. He was just about to put his left foot down on solid concrete, as opposed to a crumbling wall, when the door burst open and someone screamed his name.

This sudden outcry shocked and startled him, so much in fact that he withdrew his foot from the ground and placed it hastily and heavily back on the wall. The change in balance caused him to sway to the side and finally resulted in him toppling right over the edge.

"DRACO!!" Hermione screamed whilst darting forward.

She looked over the wall fearfully to find a silent Malfoy clinging on to a broken tile belonging to one of the lower turrets. Jagged pieces of the tile appeared slowly between his bleeding fingers…he was slipping.

"Oh My God…!" Hermione breathed as she lent cautiously over the edge. For now, Draco was within reach, but within half a minute he would be gone. She had to act fast.

A shaking Hermione placed her feet between two pillars under the balcony and used them as anchors as she lent further over. As she did so, a weathered and ancient fragment of the wall broke off and plummeted down towards Malfoy. It clipped him on the side of his head, making his brow bleed.

The rock caused Draco to slide further down the tile, allowing more crimson blood to flow from his finger. This substance made the surface on which he clung slippery.

"Hermione…" Draco whispered, in a tone so low she could barely hear him.

"Yes! Yes I'm trying…" she yelled in a frantic voice. She swung her arm downwards but completely missed Draco's free hand.

She tried again, this time hitting another tile on the turret, making the whole thing shake vigorously.

"Third time lucky!" she thought to herself. With added zeal, she thrust forward, this time colliding directly with Malfoy's hand. Just in time too. His bleeding hand had slipped just as his other had been caught by his guardian angel.

With all the strength she could muster, Hermione pulled Draco up and over the balcony. They both landed with a crash on the floor, Hermione on top of Draco.

First she looked at him.

Then she laughed.

Next came the crying.

And then they embraced. She threw his arms around him and hugged him, so tightly, he wondered for a while if she was actually trying to strangle him.

"I thought I'd lost you!" she whispered into his ear through sobs.

To reassure her that he was still there for her, and her alone, he clasped her, equally as tight as she was holding him. She continued to cry, her head buried deep in his shoulder.

Whilst this happened, Malfoy thought of how confused he was over Hermione's reactions. He was just about to mention his bewilderment when she nuzzled her head deeper into his shoulder.

He stopped himself from speaking. This is what he had wanted. He had seen them together hundreds of times in his mind, in different circumstances of course, and each time had felt like this. He wasn't willing to compromise what he had currently.

So, for now, he simply lay there in silence, holding his lovely angel close to his beating heart, smelling her hair and admiring the purity of her baby soft skin.

He would continue the puzzle of her glorious mind at a later date.


	16. Notes

Hermione slept well that night

Hermione slept well that night. She hadn't slept through the night in a long time, but this morning she felt fresh and awake. She felt alive.

She had gone to bed thinking of Draco, and as his face entered her mind, as her skin tingled where he had touched it, she felt a tiny pang of something unfamiliar.

Lust?

Friendship?

Compassion?

Love?

Hermione had never been in love before; she didn't know what it was or how it felt.

Yes, she had read about it, as many muggles and indeed muggle born witches, had. Yet this was futile as a feeling as intense as love cannot simply be described.

There is no simile great enough, no adjective grand enough to show the true meaning of it.

Hermione knew this. So what was it she felt?

"Well," she thought to herself, "whatever it is, I rather like it!"

With that thought in her head, Hermione continued with her runes essay. She continued it with a smile on her face and an unknown feeling in her heart.

At the same time in another part of the school, Draco was strolling around the corridors in search of his angel. An idiotic smile had been lying on his face since last night. His friends mocked and scorned him, but did he care?

Normally, he would have spent hours searching high and low for Hermione, not having a clue where she would be. Now though, he knew that she had three places she could always be found.

The library, as always, the common room, which was unfortunately off limits to him, and now, the Astronomy Tower.

It had become their special place. A place where no-one else ever went, hence why he chose it to begin with.

He decided to head there first. Not surprisingly, no-one was there, not even Hermione.

So he turned around and made his way back towards the library. As he entered, Madame Pince greeted him with a shocked smile.

"Oh! Hello Mr Malfoy! Your becoming quite the little regular here aren't you!"

A regular? This was his second trip to the library this year…yes, he was quite the frequent flyer!

"I hope you're not here to cause trouble!"

That was the last thing he wanted to cause when Hermione was close by, which, he was sure, she was.

"No Madame Pince. I'm here to do my…" he spotted Hermione and could quite clearly see which book was on her desk, "…I'm here to do my runes essay!"

"Oh well, good luck!" she chirped, with an eccentric look on her face, "you know where I am if you need me!"

"Thank you, I'll be fine though."

As she walked away, he turned around to look at Hermione. He slowly made his way towards her and muttered to himself, "Yes…I will most certainly be fine…"

He deviously walked behind the bookcase in front of her desk and peered at her through the stacked shelves. He stood there for a while in silence, watching her intently.

She was so beautiful when she worked. Nothing but fact and thought filled her head and she looked so content and pure. So lustrous.

Subconsciously, he began to lean forward, wanting to be close to her. His elbow, which was resting on one of the shelves, suddenly slipped and he fell forward, bashing his head, rather loudly, on the shelf.

"Ouch…" he cursed, rubbing his throbbing head. He looked back towards Hermione, who had been startled by the noise he had made. Their shining eyes met through the gaps in the books.

Hermione could feel the blood rising to her cheeks and knew that soon she would turn bright red. She giggled, silently of course, and lowered her head to her books.

Every so often, she raised her head to find Draco still gazing avidly at her. He started to move, as if he was walking towards her.

"Oh God!" she thought, "He can't come over to me! We're supposed to hate each other. How exactly is this going to look??"

She tried to carry on smiling but her eyes gave her away. Draco spotted a tiny speck of fear in them and stopped dead in his tracks. He raised his eyebrow and Hermione nudged her head to the left, back to where he had been standing.

He took the hint and returned to his previous spot. Trying not to rustle it too much, he removed a piece of parchment from his pocket and tore the bottom half off.

Quickly and silently, he scribed a note on the torn sheet and folded it numerous times. He then raised it slightly so that Hermione could see it, and proceeded to place it in between two books on the shelf before him. He nodded to Hermione and began to walk away.

For appearances sake, Hermione remained seated for a good 5 minutes before she picked up the runes book on her desk and walked over to the shelf. She put it back, before removing another.

She looked around the room slowly, checking to see if anyone was watching. She began to feel the blood rush to her cheeks again as she observed a small blonde haired boy watching her from the corridor. She nodded to him and smiled; he did the same back.

Certain that no-one else was watching her, she removed the note from behind the book, and hid it within its aged pages.

Returning to her desk, she glanced up again to meet eyes with the Slytherin boy in the hall. Hermione slowly began to unfold the note and read it.

'_My dear Hermione,_

_Please meet me at the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight. Don't be late!_

_I love you,_

_Draco xx'_

Hermione couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Trying desperately to control her excitement, she raised her head and nodded to Malfoy, who in turn smiled and turned away, walking back to the dungeons.

And so, with an even bigger smile on her face and the unknown feeling in her heart amplified ten thousand times, she continued with her runes essay, wondering what lay in store for her tonight.


	17. Breath Taking

Ok guys, I apologise (most sincerely

Ok guys, I apologise (most sincerely!) for not updating sooner but I am going through a little writers block at the moment. That said, here is the next chapter and I'm sorry if it sucks (Vikki don't say a thing lol!) but I have tried!

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She decided she would try to look nice. For too long she had let her hair flow wild and curly. For too long she had gone without make up, for fear of looking tarty. Or worse, god forbid, being told off by a Professor!

So at 11pm, when everyone was in bed (earlier than normal, it had been a long week!) she snuck into the bathroom, had a quick shower, then dried and straightened her hair with a quick spell.

Hermione's mother had given her a box of make up for her last birthday but so far it had remained untouched. Her jewellery box was full of beautiful trinkets and shimmering objects. Over the years it had been filled by friends and family, from both the wizarding world and the muggle world.

After picking out her outfit, a strappy green top, dark jeans and a white fitted jacket, she chose eyeshadow to match and a subtle blusher to give her cheeks a little added colour.

In the moonlight, she imagined he couldn't see her very well anyway. But before she snuck out, Hermione peeked out her window and looked in the direction of the Astronomy Tower.

It was glowing again. Her face lit up, and fell ever so slightly, as she made out a small figure sat, once again precariously, on the balcony.

"Oh god," she laughed, shaking her head, "doesn't that boy ever learn??"

Quickly and coyly, she walked down the stairs to the common room and through the portrait hole.

"Oooooo…sneaking out again are we?" questioned the Fat Lady.

She laughed, her idiotic childish laugh, as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't worry!" she giggled again as Hermione turned to leave, "your secret is safe with me!"

"Well my dear lady, that is indeed, very kind of you!" a voice said.

Hermione stopped in her tracks. Dumbledore walked out of the shadows and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Now now Miss Granger, not breaking any rules are we?" he gave her the inquisitive look he was famous for. Hermione's face was frozen in fear and shock. What was she supposed to do now?

Dumbledore saw how scared and speechless she was and chuckled.

"My dear girl, just try to be a bit quieter OK? We don't want to wake the portraits do we?!" he turned and began to walk away when Hermione stopped him.

"Wait Headmaster! I'm breaking the rules and your…your…letting me??"

"Well, we all need a little quiet time with out partners now and then don't we?"

"I'm sorry Headmaster…" said Hermione, still confused, "…partners?"

"Well I naturally assumed you were off to see Mr Malfoy!"

Hermione wandered how he had found out. Then she remembered, the night Snape had come to get them, he said that Dumbledore had asked him to do the dinner, so clearly he knew. How?

"Well…I…um, well yes. If you don't mind me asking Headmaster, how do you know?"

Dumbledore paused for a moment and breathed out, rather loudly.

"I received an owl the other night from a rather concerned Narcissa Malfoy. She claimed that her son had been moping around for days and in his letters to her, he had sounded upset, very unlike Draco. She assumed a girl was behind it, I assumed that girl was you! And I was right.."

Hermione looked more confused than ever, although now she also felt slightly insulted.

"Me and Malfoy are mortal enemies, what on earth made you think he liked me?"

"My dear girl, even in my old age, nothing gets past me! Wiser than ever! Goodnight…" he smiled at her, a knowing smile, and turned.

"Oh Headmaster!" she yelled, he turned around again.

"Just one last thing…" she said quietly, "How did you get Snape to do the dinner and decorations? I mean he's not exactly the type of guy to do something nice if there's nothing in it for him is he?!"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Let's just say it was a form of detention. Goodnight…" he said again, this time successfully walking away.

Hermione giggled at the thought of Snape in detention, then continued, quietly as requested, to the Astronomy Tower.

Meanwhile…

On the top level of he Astronomy Tower, a nervous Draco checked his watch. It was 12.15…she was late.

"But I saw her at the window…she smiled at me, she must be coming!" he thought.

_Unless, _said a little voice in the back of his head, _she was just mocking you. Seeing how long you would sit up here, on your own, waiting for her to arrive. _

"No…she wouldn't do that! She's coming, she told me she was!"

_She never actually said a thing, all she did was smile at you. God knows what she was thinking. Something along the lines of 'Poor sap, lets play with him!'_

"I hate you…" he thought to this annoying little voice. Just as he was about to begin another argument with himself, the door opened and Hermione walked out.

He smiled immediately, she blushed and smiled back.

"Wow…you look beautiful!" he whispered, his breath taken away.

Hermione blushed a deeper shade. "Thanks…" she replied.

She looked him up and down and drank in the sight of him. He too was wearing dark jeans, but they weren't tight or figure hugging like hers. She was surprised about how much this disappointed her.

Luckily however, he wore a short sleeved black top that was, considerably, tight.

"Wow…that doesn't leave much to the imagination…" she thought, "…what is he overcompensating for?"

_Oh just admit it Hermione…you like him! Admit that your eyes fluttered when you saw his abs. Admit that his smile made your heart beat out of time with your brain!_

"Shut up!" she cursed the little annoying voice in the back of her own head.

Once the little voice had indeed shut up, no other sound could be heard. Draco's gaze shifted from Hermione's eyes, to the ground, to her lustrous lips and back to her eyes, yet still he said nothing. Hermione decided to fill this silent void between them with idle banter.

"Well the weather -"

She was cut off as Draco jumped in front of her and fused his aching lips to hers. He continued with this breath taking kiss as he pulled her closer to him, holding onto her waist. He daren't pull away but was afraid to push it further.

In the end he pulled away reluctantly. He needed air, as did Hermione. His hand was still holding her close to him and their faces remained inches apart, yet he could still feel her racing heartbeat.

"I'm…I'm sorry Hermione…" he whispered, looking at the floor. He cleared his throat. "What were you saying…?"

"I…" Hermione was still getting her breath back, "I can't remember…"

"Was it important?" Draco asked.

Hermione barely managed to say 'no' before she flung her arms around his neck and reignited the flames that had just sparked between them. It was Hermione who deepened the kiss, demanding entry into Draco's mouth, pressing her tongue against his desperate lips whilst running her fingers through his silky blonde hair.


	18. Memories

Thanks for reading guys, may I ask for more reviews please

Thanks for reading guys, may I ask for more reviews please!! They make me happy and I'm feeling a little depressed about this story…note to self, must stop reading other Dramione stories, they make me seriously hate my own!

This is dedicated to xxxxcrazychickxxxx, who happens to be one of the authors who has made me hate my own story! She dedicated a chapter of her story to me, so this one is for her. xx

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Dumbledore sat idly at his desk, thinking. Thinking about the future, thinking about the upcoming N.E.W.T.S., thinking about the war to come. But mostly, as he sat in his office, gazing upon two students at the top of the Astronomy Tower, he thought of love, and of his past.

He stood up slowly and walked over to the corner of his study. As he conjured his pensieve, he wandered which memory he would relive tonight. Many a night had he done this, had he been nostalgic and caught up in the past.

Dumbledore leaned in, and gazed at the swirling silver liquid trapped within the ornate granite bowl. He sighed. All his memories, all his feelings, all his connections to the past were contained in this very object.

He lent in further as an image started to form in front of him. He smiled and chuckled ever so slightly as he recognised it.

"Well, here goes nothing…" he whispered as he placed his hand into the memory and was pulled into the pensieve.

-- In the Pensieve --

(A/N: The present day Dumbledore (the one who just entered the Pensieve) actions are written in _italics_ to avoid confusion! Hope it isn't too confusing…)

_Dumbledore's vision blurred as he became acclimatised to his surroundings. His hearing was perfect though, and he began to recognise sounds from his past, sounds from his days as a Hogwarts student._

_He heard his own voice, it stuck out in the calm of the scene. Eventually his eyes came into focus and he smiled upon the scene before him.  
_

It was dark, just gone midnight.

Albus sat on a mossy stone to the side of the stone circle. He sat there patiently, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Come on…" he whispered for the second time. Albus wasn't an impatient soul, yet he eagerly awaited the arrival of his companion. He shuffled slightly and shivered in the breeze.

"She'd better be coming…!" he whispered.

"Of course I'm coming, I wouldn't miss it…" a voice said.

In the shadows, a young Gryffindor girl emerged from the entrance to the suspension bridge, her cloak wrapped tightly around her head, shielding her from the wind. As she moved closer to Albus, she lowered the hood she had made, and revealed a young and incredibly beautiful face.

Albus smiled and stood up to greet the girl. Not wanting to move to fast or scare her, he simply kissed her cheek.

She blushed and sat down on the rock next to Albus.

_Dumbledore smiled and gazed intently upon the faces of the two young lovers. He remembered this scene with great fondness. _

"So how is your essay going then?" Albus asked, trying to make conversation.

"It's um…yer it's going OK thanks…but Albus, I don't want to talk about Transfiguration right now. Is that OK?"

"Of course it is. So um…" Albus shifted on his seat, he was nervous for the first time in his life, "what do you want to talk about?"

The girl giggled slightly.

"What?" Albus asked, laughing a little bit as well. He loved her laugh, it always made him smile.

"Who says we have to talk?" she said, giggling and blushing again.

_Dumbledore laughed. This was one of his favourite Hogwarts memories. The innocence of the night, the stars in the sky, the peace around the couple, it made the night more special, more romantic. _

_It took an enormous amount of courage for Dumbledore to cast this memory into the Pensieve, to erase it from his dreams. Yet he had no choice. For years after they left Hogwarts and lost contact, he had dreamed of her._

_He dreamt of her hair, of her laugh, of her warmth and of the colour and radiance she gained when she blushed, which was often. _

_When she applied for the position at Hogwarts, almost 40 years later, he knew he had to do something. He could not continue day to day with thoughts of her roaming around his mind._

_And so, he removed the memory, removed the feeling, and she knew this. She knew and she let him do it anyway…she regretted it deeply, though Dumbledore did not know this._

After they'd stopped giggling, the two sixth years sat in silence, only for a second, gazing into one another's eyes.

Then very slowly, Albus leaned in and touched his lips to hers. He began to kiss her deeply and she retaliated. With shaking hands, Albus wrapped his arms around the waist of the girl he loved, and pulled her closer to him.

_Much to his regret, Dumbledore felt himself being pulled away, out of the memory. Just before he emerged back into the real world, he glanced back down at the couple to see Albus laying the Gryffindor girl down on the grass and he remembered what came next in the memory._

-- Out of the Pensieve --

Dumbledore landed on the floor, smiling. For a few seconds, the memory remained with him, and he once again felt deep, mad, idiotic love for one girl, and one girl only, Minerva McGonagall.

Then, quick as it had come, the memory faded, and he returned to his desk, unaware of what he had just witnessed in the Pensieve. Only a happy feeling remained, though he was unaware what this feeling was, or where it had come from.

So, for the rest of the night, he sat at this desk, marking O.W.L.S. and writing his speech for the next morning's meeting. Only occasionally did he glance out of his window and up to the Astronomy Tower, to check that the two students were behaving themselves.

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Ok, I know this chapter is a little odd but I thought I'd give it a shot. Nothing more will come of this chapter just yet, at least not for a few chapters time. It may re-emerge soon…

Also, I don't really know if Dumbledore and McGonagall would have been at school at the same time or not but I don't really care if they are or they aren't, here they are and that's all that matters!!

So please read and review, let me know what you think please!!

Thanks a lot to chocolaterox92 for…well for just reading and reviewing, you always make me smile!


	19. Matrimony?

Just to warn you, this is just a filler chapter. It's taken me a while to update as I didn't really know what to write. I think I have an idea now though. I hope you like it.

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"So when are we going to tell everyone?" Draco asked after he eventually managed to prise his moist lips away from Hermione's.

Hermione sat there and thought about it for a while, whilst licking her lips.

"God I love it when she does that!" he thought, breathlessly.

"Well, maybe we should wait for a while…"

He sighed. This was the answer he didn't want to hear. He was fed up of hiding away their love; he was fed up of having to hate her in public. But mostly, he hated the way he wanted to be near her, hold her hand, kiss her whenever he wanted, but couldn't.

She felt his disappointment.

"Oh Draco…I'm sorry I just…I just don't know how they'll react!" she sighed, "Listen, we'll just wait for a few weeks!"

His face dropped even more.

"Ok, ok, maybe only one week!"

This was better than a few weeks. He smiled slightly. Despite the lack of enthusiasm present, his mouth curving as it did made her heart falter.

She couldn't help but lean in and kiss him gently. He smiled onto her lips and grabbed her waist, pulling her in closer to him. He deepened the kiss…

He deepened it some more, and then some more…

Tightening his grip on her waist, Draco pushed her back, a little too forcefully, against the stone wall. She gasped, but continued kissing him.

He broke apart their lips and moved over to nibble her ear. He then began to place little butterfly kisses on her neck and bare collarbone. Before Hermione realised what was happening, he had moved down further, and began to suck and bite at the material clinging to her stomach.

Despite her wish to let him continue, she placed her hands under his shaped chin, and pushed it upwards, raising him to eyelevel.

Draco took one look at her expression and his face fell again.

"Merlin, he's cute when he pouts!" she thought.

_Then why stop him? _The little shrill voice returned. _You know you wanted him to. So let him!_

"No…" she whispered under her breath.

"No what?" Draco asked, hearing her low mumble.

"I'm sorry Draco…I can't…you know…" she gestured at the bite marks on her top.

"Right…sorry…"

_You fucking idiot…_Draco's alter ego of a conscience had rejoined the conversation as well. _You had her right where you wanted her. She was fine with you kissing her, but you had to take it too damn far didn't you! You tit… _

Draco sighed at what his mind was saying. He wasn't going to stand for this!

"You're wrong…!"

Hermione looked confused and slightly annoyed.

"Just because you don't agree with me it doesn't make me wrong! I -"

"No!" he interrupted her, "No 'Mione I wasn't talking to you."

"OK…" she decided it was best not to follow this conversation.

"Besides, you're not wrong," he chuckled, "you never are!"

She smiled and blushed. There was silence for a while.

"I admire your restraint. Most people wouldn't be able to turn me down!"

"You're not vain at all are you Malfoy?!" she smiled.

"Me? Never! And we're back to Malfoy?"

"Well, I like the way it sounds…" her voice trailed off.

He had to admit, he liked it when she called him by his surname. It sounded…well, it sounded sexy!

"Anyway," began Hermione, moving the topic away from his name, "as far as restraint goes, I don't believe in…you know…before matrimony!"

"Matrimony? These days I believe it's called marriage 'Mione darling!"

He loved her posh vocabulary and tone.

"Sorry…" she half whispered, half cried.

Hermione hated to think that she disappointed him. She just wanted to make him happy, but this she couldn't do. At least not yet.

"'Mione, don't apologise! Please don't ever apologise for yourself. I just got a little carried away before, that's all. I can wait. I'll wait for marriage…"

Hermione drew in a sharp breath and swore that her heart stopped beating, if only for a second. Marriage…was he being serious?

Whether he was or he wasn't, she still felt bad. She leaned in and balanced on her tiptoes, so they were at eye level again. Lovingly, she draped her arms around his soft neck and kissed him, ever so lightly.

_Marriage eh, Malfoy? Well, if you really love her…_

This time, Draco agreed with his second opinion, but said nothing to Hermione. He had to think a lot about it; after all, they were only young.

Still, as he kissed her standing on top of the Astronomy Tower, surrounded by candles and gleaming stars, he realised he had everything he wanted.

What was there to think about?

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So, there you have it. I guess it turned out to be a bit more than just a filler chapter after all!

Can I just mention that fact that I'm now a Beta Reader as well so if anyone needs anything beta-ing, please ask me! xD

As always

Holli x


	20. Plans

"So do you want a big party or a little one

"So do you want a big party or a little one?" Ginny practically screamed at Hermione as she entered the Great Hall for dinner.

Hermione jumped in response before taking a seat next to Ron, who smiled and hugged her.

"Yer because we were thinking of the Room of Requirement if you wanted lots of people!" said Luna, continuing Ginny's question.

Hermione nodded. She liked the idea of having her party there. Lots of space, free food, decorations the whole package!

Ginny and Luna both squealed as Hermione agreed.

"Only four days!" gasped Ginny, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Four days till what?" Seamus asked, joining the table.

"HERMIONE'S BIRTHDAY!!" they all screamed at once.

Across the hall, Draco's attention was caught.

"'Mione's birthday? Damn…" he thought.

For a while he sat and wandered what to get her. He began to neglect his meal; after all, this was a serious matter!

"Hey Draco!" chirped Pansy Parkinson as she sat down. But Draco was deep in thought now and consequently ignored her.

Pansy coughed and waved her manicured fingers in front of Draco's staring eyes.

"Draco!"

Draco returned from his mind, where he was wondering down Diagon Alley looking for the perfect shop that contained the perfect gift for the perfect girl.

"Oh, sorry. Hey Pans! You ok?"

"Yes thanks. You looked deep in thought back there. Is everything OK?"

"Oh yes it's fine thanks Pans, I just -"

He stopped as he noticed something.

"Draco…?" Pansy whispered. He was beginning to worry her now.

"Where did you get that?"

"Get what?"

"That!" he replied, pointing at the object that had claimed his attention.

"Oh this? Blaise got it for me for my last birthday. So sweet of him. Why do you ask?"

"Oh…no reason. It's just pretty that's all!"

He looked at it once more, then looked over to Hermione and imagined it on her. Perfect.

At the same time, Hermione looked up from her plate and the party plans before her to find deep blue eyes gazing into hers. Her eyes gazed back. And for a moment, all the noise stopped and all Draco could hear was the beating of his own heart. Everything went out of focus and the only thing he could see was Hermione's eyes glinting back at his. This glint numbed his other senses.

"…so I thought I'd do that instead. What do you think?" Pansy asked.

"Damn…what'd she say?" he asked himself. He had been so caught up in Hermione's eyes that he had completely blanked out everything Pansy had been saying.

"Umm, yer…" he guessed, "that sounds good! Listen, sorry Pans but I've got some stuff I need to do. See you around OK?"

He quickly jumped up and left, leaving Pansy confused. Out of her sight, he stood in the doorway, just able to see the Gryffindor table and Hermione. he caught her eye again and smiled coyly.

"Hey, can we finish the plans later? I just remembered I've got a…um, project to finish."

"Ok sure, see you in the common room!" Ginny said.

Hermione smiled at her friends before standing and leaving the Great Hall.

The entrance hall was practically deserted; most students were in the Hall eating dinner. Small cracks of light appeared through the stained glass windows and illuminated the entrance hall in a mirage of colours and shapes.

Yet still, despite this beautiful spectrum on the floor and walls, it was still too dim to make out any definite figures. She couldn't see Draco.

Had he left? Had he actually wanted her to come or had she just left her dinner for no reason assuming something that wasn't supposed to be assumed?

"Oh dear…" she said to no-one in particular. She turned around and was about to begin the long sad traipse up to the common room when a delicate hand wrapped itself around her wrist.

Immediately, her skin tingled and she could feel the blood begin to rush to her head.

She had her back to the boy, yet she knew who he was. The 'mysterious' boy began to pull her back towards a portrait that led to the seventh floor.

Checking no-one was in the corridor, he turned her around, so that they were face to face, and pinned her to the wall.

Just centimetres away from her face, he breathed in her unique sweet scent and looked her up and down, from her eyes, down to her lips and back up to her eyes again.

She knew what he wanted, and gave it to him, tickling his bottom lip first, then nibbling it gently. He grabbed her waist again but kept his lips solely on hers, not daring to move onto her neck…or anywhere else.

Then suddenly, Hermione pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, sensing her worry.

"Listen!" she said quietly. There was silence for the next few seconds before quick footsteps could be heard, just around the corner.

"Shit!" he screamed under his breath, "in here!"

He pulled her backwards and over to the other wall, where the door to the Room of Requirement appeared. They quickly ran inside and the room changed into an exact replica of the corridor outside, only empty.

Draco looked around, then smiled at her.

"I've missed you…"

Hermione blushed and smiled blissfully.

"Missed me? It's been less than a day Malfoy!"

"So?"

She blushed deeper. Draco stepped forward and stroked her cheek. She in turn closed her eyes and moved her face further into his hand.

Loving the way she looked and how soft her skin felt against his hand, he leaned in again and stationed his face seductively close to hers, waiting for her to make the next move.

She opened her eyes when she felt his hot breath on her neck and stared directly into his eyes. She became lost in them for a while before she reversed their positions and pinned him to the wall.

"Hmm…I say…" Draco smirked, before having his lips taken from him.

They continued like this, pressed against the wall, eyes closed, for some time before Hermione opened her eyes. She broke the kiss and nearly chocked as she looked around the room.

It had changed to Draco's needs. They were no longer in an empty corridor, but a low lit cosy room. A huge fire crackled and danced seductively beneath an ornate marble fireplace, illuminating the room slightly, giving it a romantic glow. Under this haze, she could see a large four poster bed in the corner, the cover turned down invitingly.

"Draco!" Hermione yelled as she felt something on her hip. She looked at the bed, then back at him and scowled.

"Sorry 'Mione…" he said slowly, lowering his head, "it's not like I can control the room! It does what it wants!"

"No, it does what you want and I wasn't talking about that anyway! I was talking about… THAT!" she cried, gesturing downwards.

"Oh…well I'm sorry but…you know…I can't control that either," he paused and placed his hand on her cheek again, "I really am sorry Hermione. Please don't hate me!"

_You've done it again Malfoy, well done you bastard! Just couldn't keep it in your pants could you? This is it, you've lost her now, she can't forgive you for this…!_

Draco was really beginning to regret having a conscience, let alone listening to it.

_Don' be mad at him, he's right he can't control it really! Besides, you should take it as a compliment. It shows that he loves you and finds you sexy! _

"Hmmm…I didn't think of it like that…" she thought.

Draco still looked worried and had a pleading look on his face. To Hermione, he looked too cute to be mad at.

He smiled, a huge smile, as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I forgive you Malfoy." He smiled again at her, which made what she was about to do incredibly difficult, "…but maybe we should call it a night?"

Draco sighed but nodded.

"OK…sorry for ruining this 'Mione."

"You didn't ruin anything!" she said quietly, kissing him again.

"Mmm…I'm damn sure gonna miss those lips tonight!" Draco said as he left the room.

Hermione giggled and left a few minutes later, for appearances sake! She headed straight to the common room, craving sleep.

Draco too headed for his common room, but had no intention of sleeping. As soon as he entered the dormitory, he woke Blaise up and began to question him about Pansy's gift.

In the morning, with all the information he needed, he quietly slipped out of the Hogwarts grounds and apparated to Diagon Alley.

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So that's was Chapter 20, yay I'm in the 20's!

I will try to update as soon as I can but I'm moving house this weekend (cries) so it probably won't be up for a while. As soon as I have some time though I will get cracking on Chapter 21, I know what's going to happen!

Screw coursework, I WILL WRITE!!

As always

Holli x


	21. Insults and Invites

Draco returned from Diagon Alley just before lunch

May I apologise in advance if this is rubbish, I wrote this at like 2 in the morning when I was absolutely exhausted from moving house! So no flames for this chapter please, I've tried my best!

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Draco returned from Diagon Alley just before lunch. He produced a huge grin as he entered the dormitory and placed the gift wrapped box under his bed.

"Did you get it?" a voice said behind him. He turned around to see Blaise sat on his bed.

"Yep!"

"The special one I told you about?"

Draco looked at him and smiled.

"Good, I'm glad. Now come on you love struck monkey, let's go get some lunch!" Blaise said, pushing Draco through the door.

"Love struck monkey…is that supposed to be an insult?"

Blaise laughed but said nothing. They began talking about the contents of the box when a certain red haired Gryffindor ambushed Malfoy on the stairs.

"What do you want Weasley?!" Blaise spat at Ron.

Ron chose to ignore him and turned to face Draco. He indicated to the side and asked for a private word. Blaise scoffed.

"Please! People like you, Weasley, need an appointment to even get within ten feet of a Malfoy!"

Again, Ron ignored him and kept focussing on Draco. Draco in turn rolled his eyes. Clearly, he had a lot to teach Blaise on the exact art of successfully insulting people.

"Hey, meet you in the Great Hall, OK?" Draco said, turning to Blaise.

"Are you serious? You're actually going to stay here and talk to this…this…carrot headed…mutant!?" Draco rolled his eyes again.

Ron took notice at the word 'mutant' and turned to scowl at Zabini.

"You know what Zabini, you can go fu -"

"Ron, over here! Blaise, save me a seat!" Draco interrupted as he pulled Ron away from Blaise and down another staircase.

"OK, make it quick Ron."

"Whatever. Like I'd choose to spend longer with you than I had to anyway! The point is its Hermione's birthday party tomorrow night and despite the fact that I hate you and you hate everyone else," he paused, either for effect or simply to breathe again, "I know you happen to be rather fond of 'Mione."

Draco laughed as if this was the understatement of the century.

"And I'm not saying I'm happy with it, as I said before I hate you but I do love Hermione and I want her to be happy. So, here is the invite. Come if you want to, I don't really care, but I think 'Mione would like you there with her."

Draco took the invite and looked it over.

"Thanks Ron. That means a lot."

"Yer well, so does 'Mione…" Ron said, beginning to walk away before Draco pulled him back.

"Yer about that, what you said before about you loving her. Do you mean in a platonic way or am I to assume something more?"

"Assume what you like Malfoy, it doesn't matter anymore does it!"

Ron stalked off leaving a baffled Draco wandering.

"Is he serious? Does he love 'Mione?" Draco thought.

These questions continued to parade through his mind as he entered the Great Hall. His racing thoughts immediately calmed however when he noticed a smart bushy haired witch sat at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione was giggling at someone's joke. She threw her head back in laughter allowing her curls to fall freely and her face lit up.

"She looks so beautiful…" Draco whispered.

This thought also ran through the head of the ginger wizard sat opposite her. He too, was in awe of one Hermione Granger.

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Sorry about the pathetic-ness of the insults from Blaise and the 'love struck monkey' thing, my brain has literally been mush this weekend!

If anyone has any better insults then please review and let me know!

As always

Holli x


	22. Parties and a Drunken Philosophy

So sorry it has taken like ages for this chapter to be uploaded. I think I am still suffering from a deadly disease.

Yes, that's right, MY WRITER'S BLOCK IS BACK!! O dear!

Anyways, moment over let's get to the story shall we!?

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Snowflakes cast beautiful shadows into the Gryffindor common room as they fell to the ground. It was a cold snowy night.

Many of Hermione's birthdays had been spent in the snow as Hogwarts welcomed winter into its grasp. It didn't bother her though; she enjoyed the softness of the frozen water as it floated through the night sky.

Snow was underestimated by most people. Yet it fascinated Hermione. A hard exterior easily crushed revealing a soft, almost gooey centre. It reminded her of someone. Someone special…

She began to float off into the past, remembering this persons kiss. How his white blonde hair fell onto hers as he bent to hold her. How his breath on her face made her feel when he -.

"Come on Hermione! No time to daydream! You've been doing that enough lately as it is!" Ginny yelled, entering the room.

"I have?" Hermione pondered, coming out of her evocative mood.

"Yup," Ginny nodded to emphasise her point, then she tapped her watch with her wand, "now come on! You have to get ready; we're leaving in like 30 minutes!"

"Alright, calm down dear!" Hermione said sarcastically before walking into the bathroom. As soon as she entered, she walked straight back out again.

"Gin?"

"WHAT?!"

"The party isn't for another hour yet, why do we only have thirty minutes. The Room of Requirement isn't that far away you know!"

Ginny looked at the floor.

"We're not going there. We sort of arranged somewhere else for you, is that OK?" she looked worried. This amused Hermione, who smiled. Instantly, Ginny felt better.

"That's fine Gin! I'd better get ready then…" she whispered, turning back to the shower.

After a quick 5 minute shower, she dried and straightened her hair with her wand and got dressed. Ginny invited Lavender in to do Hermione's make up.

"You'll want to look special. It's your eighteenth after all!"

Ginny squealed and did a little clap.

After the fastest makeover she'd ever had, the girls were ready to go.

"So where are we going?" Hermione asked as she stepped outside.

"You'll have to wait and see!" Lavender, Ginny and Luna all said at once.

Hermione looked ahead of her and saw footprints heading into Hogsmeade.

"Ohh…" she whispered smiling.

"What's that 'Mione?"

"Nothing!" she said, carrying on.

"SURPRISE!" the three girls yelled as they reached The Three Broomsticks pub.

"Wow! Yay!" Hermione yelled, pretending she didn't already know, "Thanks guys!"

"You're welcome. Now come on it's freezing!" Ginny said, ushering them in.

As she entered, she was shocked. For once it wasn't full to the brim, but almost empty. Only her friends stood there, a huge sign over their heads saying 'Happy 18th Hermione!"

"Wahey!" they all screamed as she entered, throwing balloons and streamers at her. She giggled and thanked them all for coming. One by one, she made her way around the room, downing one or two firewhiskies (no more!) and greeting all her friends.

She rounded a corner and almost screamed. There, alone at a booth, was the boy who reminded her of the snow.

"Draco…?" she whispered walking up to him.

"Happy Birthday 'Mione!" he said grabbing her and kissing her. She pulled away.

"What are you doing? What if someone sees? How did you get in anyway? What are you doing here? Nobody likes you!"

"Thanks Hermione…" he said. She was afraid she had offended him, then thankfully he smiled and giggled.

"They may not like me but they certainly know I like you and you like me!"

"What? How?" she said, looking around the room and realising most eyes were on them.

Draco gestured to the bar, where Ron was ordering a round of drinks.

"Ron? Ron told them!"

Draco nodded then laughed as Hermione scowled at Ron's back. She was about to walk over to him and punch him, when Draco pulled her back.

"Don't be mad at him. He invited me! And lets face it, no party is complete without me right!?"

Hermione smiled. She began to feel happy.

"Ok…I'll kill him another night!" she looked around the room again to see people whispering about them.

"Are you aware that everyone is looking and talking about us?"

Draco looked around and smiled.

"Well," he began, "lets give them something to talk about shall we!"

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. Hungrily, he took her lips and placed them against his. With his free hand he stroked her check and cupped the back of her head.

After all the gasps in the room had gone, Draco pulled away.

Hermione coughed and blushed.

"Well…happy birthday to me…" she whispered so that only he could hear. He laughed in response.

"Come on people! Show's over!" Ron yelled, walking in front of the gaping wizards and witches, turning them around. After he had successfully diverted everyone's attention, he walked over to Hermione and Draco.

Hermione scowled at him, still annoyed at him for telling their secret. Ron could tell he was in trouble.

"Look 'Mione, I'm sorry I - "

He was cut off when Hermione raised her hand. She stepped forward and hugged him.

"Thank you for inviting him. It means a lot to me Ron!"

Ron blushed and slowly his cheeks began to match his hair.

"You're welcome 'Mione."

"Come on," said Draco, eager to get Hermione off Ron, "let's get you a drink!" He pulled her over to the bar, leaving Ron standing on his own.

Half an hour passed and Hermione had had more drinks than normal. Well, if someone offered her a birthday drink, it would be impolite to say no, would it not?!

After a few more drinks, she and Draco went and sat down at a table with Ron and Harry. They began a long conversation which soon became confusing. Hermione tried to involve Draco, whilst Ron tried to blank him out. Harry was too drunk to care.

At random moments in the night, Harry would burst out laughing for no particular reason, which certainly lightened the atmosphere, if only for a while.

At one particularly tense point in the evening, Harry suddenly suggested a nice friendly game of poker. They all agreed. Even Draco was permitted by Ron to play. Hermione guessed he just wanted to beat him but said nothing. For the minute, they all wore an emotion that vaguely resembled happiness.

About 30 minutes into a game, Draco won the entire pot. It had just been him and Hermione left at the end.

"Oh yes!" he yelled, hugging Hermione, "Sorry baby!" This gained a low growl from Ron.

"How did you know I was bluffing??" she screamed at him.

"You have a tell 'Mione. Whenever you're lying, your right eyebrow twitches ever so slightly!"

"It does not!" she said, laughing and pressing her hand to the aforementioned eyebrow.

"It does!" Draco said.

"You really noticed that? You're not just making it up to sound like you really care?"

"Course I noticed that! And you know I care…" he whispered the last part so that Ron couldn't hear him. She smiled.

"Aw…you notice all the little things about me! You are so very very very very sweet Draco Malfoy!" Hermione said in an almost babyish voice.

Draco laughed.

"Hermione's damn funny when she's drunk!" he thought, though he thought she was funny normally too. She leaned in and kissed him.

Whilst they did this, Ron nudged Harry, who had just passed out on the table.

"Bloody idiot! '_Oh I notice these things!'_ He is so fake! He probably googled her or something. No doubt her blog says all about her poker face!" Ron continued to rant for a while.

Meanwhile, Harry sighed. He may be drunk but he could still think straight and his friend was beginning to annoy him!

"Hmmm…Blog doesn't have a 'Mione, Fred!" he whispered, laying his head on the table again.

"Well something else then! I mean, what did he do? Conjure some sort of '_How to manage Hermione Granger!'_ Guide?"

Harry groaned into the table. Ron hit him again and he shot up, banging his head on the wall behind him. As he rubbed his aching skull, he looked, blurry eyed, at the two students kissing.

"Or maybe…" he slurred, "he noticed it he did really…and he actually like her really! I mean she really a special 'Mione! Yer…really 'Mione…" he said, placing his head slowly back on the table, slightly further away from Ron's elbow.

"Nice one Harry! Intelligent answer and very philosophical!" he grinned to himself before falling asleep in a drunken haze.

Ron looked down at him.

"Prick…"

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Argh! I can celebrate, I managed to write a whole chapter!

I am sorry if it is utterly rubbish, especially the drunk Harry bit. I tried my best guys!

I will update soon…something special gonna happen!

As always

Holli x


	23. Lets Take A Stroll

Oh…the next chapter

Oh…the next chapter! I said I'd update soon!

I really hope you like this chapter, I didn't spend as long on it as I probably should have but I just really wanted to upload it!

Also sorry if it's a bit short…I'm a teensy bit tipsy at the moment…/

xD

This chapter goes out to Vikki/Fish; I hope this brightens your holidays!

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As the night went on, more drinks were drunk and the students were becoming considerably tipsy. Someone conjured a disco ball, much to everyone's delight, and placed it in the centre of the room.

People began to get up and dance in any space they could find. Lavender stood on her chair, Ginny was on the table and Luna was underneath it, apparently dancing with some new magical fairy she had just discovered. Madame Rosmerta began to dance on top of the bar, much to Ron's amusement.

His eyes moved quickly between the dancing barmaid and a drunken Hermione, still in Draco's arms. Two women he had always admired, both in very compromising positions. He was unsure which to watch.

His predicament was quickly solved as Draco stood up and told Hermione he needed some air.

"Join me for a stroll?"

She nodded and took his hand, smiling at Ron and Harry as she left. Neither noticed this. Harry's face was still glued to the table and Ron's eyes were on Rosmerta, who had just started doing the cancan on top of a bar stool.

Hermione shivered and rubbed her arms as she stepped into the cold. The snow glistened under the fairy lights wrapped around the statues and buildings of Hogsmeade.

"Beautiful…" she breathed.

"Yup…it is…" He looked at her, "…just like you!"

She blushed. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, placing his lips on her forehead and smelling her fruity hair.

"Come on," he said, releasing her, "let's walk!"

They strode carefully, hand in hand, through the snow, following the patterns of the lights.

"Where are we going?"

Draco shrugged.

"There's a cute little place just round the corner from here." he said, indicating with his hand.

Rounding the corner, Hermione smiled as her eyes fell upon a little white archway, set aback from the road and disguised with ivy and fairy lights, both of which blended in with the rest of Hogsmeade. It led into a cosy deserted garden, decorated beautifully with hundreds of different flowers, muggle and magic alike. The smell was intoxicating.

"I must tell Neville about this place! Think of what he could do for these plants…" she thought, musing at their glory.

"I've never been here before." Hermione said.

"It's a Malfoy garden," Draco said, "my grandfather bought it decades ago and hid it from the rest of Hogsmeade. Only a password lets you in."

"You Malfoy's like your passwords!" she smirked.

"Well there are lots of advantages to being a Malfoy!"

"…as you will know soon!" he added to himself. He led her over to a small wooden bench and sat her down.

"I got you something. You know… for your um… for your eighteenth!" he said uneasily. He produced a box. It was wrapped in silver tissue paper, the kind that shimmered when it moved and rustled when you so much as breathed on it. Delicate. A silver ribbon kept the paper in its place. He gave the box to Hermione.

"Oh Draco! It's not my birthday until tomorrow. But thank you…" She began to unwrap it but he stopped her.

"Wait, I just want to say first, to make sure you know for certain, I do love you 'Mione!"

She looked up into his eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto the back of his neck. She pushed, tilting his chiselled face down and stole his lips.

Into his ear, she whispered, "I know you do. I feel it…"

Caressing her cheek, he asked, "And you?"

She paused for a while.

"I think you already know my answer Draco…"

He smiled onto her lips.

"Good, now you can open it!"

She felt excited now. Their declarations of love seemed to be a romantic build up to that which lay idly inside the beautifully gift wrapped box. With much anticipation, she lifted the lid.

"Oh Draco…" she gasped.

Within lay a silver necklace, a satin thin chain and a heart shaped pendant. On the front was inscribed 'H.M.' and on the back were two circles, intertwined. She looked puzzled at the initials.

"H.M.?"

"Touch it, touch the back!"

She did as she was instructed but nothing happened. He lifted he necklace out of its confinement and twisted it between his long fingers. Raising it to his lips, he kissed it with delicate lips and instructed Hermione to do the same. As she did, something began to tingle on her hand.

"Holy…Merlin!" she exclaimed.

For there, on her finger lay a white gold diamond ring. She looked up at Draco and her mouth dropped further as he got onto one knee in front of her.

"Hermione," he began, sounding as if he was about to laugh and cry simultaneously, "for 6 or 7 long years we have known each other. Well, rather known OF each other. But for the last 3 years, my hate for you has transformed into something deeper."

A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek and Draco brushed it away.

"I'm an ambitious boy, you know this, and I always aim high in life, no matter how high my goals are I always reach them. Quickly too! You however, were somewhat harder to obtain. So much so that now that I have you," he grabbed her shaking hand, "I don't ever want to let you go…"

"Draco, I…"

"I know, I know we're young and it seems quick and irrational but I figure…" he paused, wondering how to go on, "for years I have imagined us together, to no end it seems. I dreamt up every aspect of our lives, our kids, our house, our love! And now I have the foundations of that, I have you! I love you, and if you love me like I love you, then, I know it's scary, but why wait for what I want, for what we want when we can have it now? Why waste another minute just being boyfriend and girlfriend, when we can be man and wife?"

Hermione remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, then she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know! I don't know why we wait!"

Draco smiled, his biggest smile of the evening, of the entire year in fact.

"Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?"

At this point she burst into tears and fell to the ground beside him, draping her arms around him as she did so.

Her head rested in the crevice of his neck, which soon became wet with her salty tears. He felt movement on his shoulder.

"Is that a nod or is she shaking her head?? Oh Merlin please say it's a nod!" Draco thought.

Hermione giggled with happiness.

_She's mocking you Draco…_

"No, no she's not…" he thought, looking into her eyes, a deep blue sea of swirling emotion.

She captured his lips and whispered 'Yes' between soft, chaste kisses.

"Yes?" he yelled, pulling back.

"Yes!" she cried louder, nodding to emphasise her happiness.

He practically screamed as he leapt up and grabbed her by her waist, lifting her into the air and swinging her around.

He then collapsed to the ground, her falling beside him. She turned his face towards hers and kissed his lips hungrily, tears streaming from her eyes.

The scene resembled that of a soppy romance film, the kind that Draco claimed to despise, but secretly adored, like many things in his life.

And finally Hermione understood the meaning of 'H.M.'…Hermione Malfoy.

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Oooooooooooooooooooo….

I am actually shaking! I really hope you liked this chapter! Please read and review, but try not to flame it, I did try my hardest!

As always

Holli x


	24. Fights, Spells and a Damn Good Kiss!

Oh my

Oh my! It seems like ages since I last updated! I am so sorry my dah-lings! Here it is, hope it's OK (I know I always say that but I really DO hope it's ok!)

Warning: Psycho Ron! I have nothing against Ron, I actually love him, it's just in this fic he is sooo much easier to write as a complete twat!

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"Mrs Hermione Malfoy…" Draco whispered into her ear as they walked back to the party. She giggled and grabbed his hand.

"Mrs Draco Malfoy…" he continued to tease her.

"Sssh!" she giggled again, "we have to look normal when we get back!"

"You can't make me shush, Granger!" he emphasised her name, thinking how he would never call her that again.

"Oh cant I?"

She perched on her tiptoes and pushed him against the wall of the pub, locking her lips to his. After a few breathtaking seconds, she pulled back and smirked.

"Ok…" he breathed, "you win!"

"Naturally…" she muttered, placing a chaste kiss on his cold, rosy cheek, then dragging him through the door to the Three Broomsticks. She stopped suddenly as she looked around the room.

The room was silent and all eyes were on them. Some students looked shocked, some looked as though they were about to laugh to death and a few looked happy, two of which were Ginny and Luna, who stepped forward to greet her.

"Congratulations!" yelled Ginny as she ecstatically hugged a shocked Hermione. Luna's hug came after Hermione had ended Ginny's death grip.

"Ummm…congratulations for what!?" Hermione responded nervously.

"The engagement!" Hermione's eyes widened. "It's OK 'Mione, we all know!"

Hermione, still trying to comprehend what was going on, turned to question the blonde Slytherin boy behind her, who shrugged.

"I didn't tell them!" Draco said defiantly.

"Then who…?"

"The fairy told me!" Luna squealed, jumping up.

"The what?"

"The fairy! One of the ones from your garden came here and told me what had happened! He also asked me to thank you for giving him such a lovely colourful home!" Luna beamed.

"Little bastard…!" Draco muttered, earning a laugh from Hermione and a scowl from Luna.

"Ok well…" Hermione cleared her throat and raised her hand excitedly, showing her ring to her two girlfriends. They squealed and began jumping up and down, hyperventilating ever so slightly. Harry awoke from the excitement.

He let his eyes adjust to the sudden light then staggered over to Draco.

"Congratulations dude!" he muttered, patting him on the back.

Draco laughed and thanked him.

"So what's actually going on then?" Harry slurred, hanging onto Draco's shoulder for support.

"Well Harry, the way I see it…" Ron began, appearing suddenly from the bar. Hermione could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath as he walked past her and, sensing an upcoming drama, everyone turned to look at Ron approaching Draco.

"…our _friend _here, has completely taken advantage of this girl's naivety and innocence and has practically stolen her hand for marital purposes!"

Harry raised his eyebrow and then patted Draco again.

"Good on ya! Come 'ere!" he yelled, pulling him into a hug. Draco couldn't help but laugh again. Potter wasn't so bad after all!

"Ronald that is completely outrageous!" screamed Hermione, stepping closer to him.

"Yes Ronald!" Draco added, dropping Harry onto a stool as he appeared to have fallen asleep during their hug.

"Oh shut up you…you…pureblood!" he said, fishing for an insult.

"Ron," Ginny pointed out, "we're purebloods!"

"Really not the point Gin!" he said shrugging, "The point is, you have no idea what you are doing Hermione! He is evil!"

"I am well aware of what I am doing Ronald! And he is NOT evil!"

"You're delusional 'Mione!"

"Oh I'm delusional?!"

"She admitted it everyone!" he said, raising his hands in the air as if this somehow emphasised his point.

"Oh don't be so juvenile!"

"But you are Hermione! Can't you see? He's using you!"

"He is not using me! I love him and he loves me too and this is just something you are going to have to deal with Ron!" She moved over to stand beside her fiancé, linking arms with him. Draco looked down and smiled at her.

"Besides, if you have such a problem with this, then why invite Draco tonight?" she continued.

"Because I wanted to make you happy! All I have ever wanted to do is make you happy 'Mione!"

Draco cringed slightly. So it was true. Ron does love Hermione…

There was silence for a while. Ron began to pant as if he had just unearthed a hidden secret; a secret he had concealed for a very long time. He continued to stare at Hermione yet try as he might, he couldn't block out Draco standing beside her, holding her hand.

Hermione returned Ron's gaze. Under her eyes he felt weak and pathetic. For so long he had kept his secret, only unveiling it ever so slightly when he spoke to Malfoy. Yet now that he was here, that this was happening, and her eyes were intently on his, he felt he had to come clean. He shrugged and took a step forward.

"I love you 'Mione!"

Draco felt Hermione tighten her grasp around his hand and draw in a sharp breath. Luna gasped whilst Ginny stared at her brother, questioning his sanity. Harry decided now would be a good time to stay awake and stood up, joining his red headed friend. Draco wondered if he had a clue what was really going on.

"I knew it!" Harry cried, smiling, "I knew you loved her!"

"How the fuck did you know?"

"Come on mate! I'm your best friend; it's my job to know!"

Ron shrugged Harry's hand of his shoulder and turned to face Hermione, who was now sat on her chair, staring in disbelief at the floor. She looked up when she felt his eyes on hers.

"Ummm…" she began, not knowing what to say, "how…how long?"

"Since the first year." She watched him, wondering if he was telling the truth, "Come on Hermione, how could I not love you?! Even a complete and utter twat like Malfoy realised that you are good enough to love!"

He took another staggered step towards her. Hermione cringed at his words.

"Don't call him that!" she cried in his direction. Her grasp tightened again as he came closer.

"Why not? That's what he is!" he paused for a moment, then continued, "Though I suppose it says a lot about your personality and strength doesn't it 'Mione, if you succumbed to his will. He's only using you but surprise surprise, you're too bloody stupid to figure it out!" he screamed his last words at her.

"OK now you're hurting my feelings…" she whispered. Her mind was profoundly confused as to what was happening. Ron expressed his love for her, and then insulted her.

The red headed boy took a final step forward, bringing them face to face. Hermione stood and Draco pulled her closer, ever so slightly afraid at what Ron might do.

"That's it! Get your boyfriend to protect you! He doesn't care about you," he spat, eyeing Draco up and down, "he's only marrying you so he can fuck you later!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" Draco protested but Ron ignored him.

"But see I care about you 'Mione! I do…I really do…"

Hermione took in a deep gasp as the overwhelming smell of alcohol came nearer and Ron leaned in, stealing her lips in a hungry kiss. He grasped her face with his hands hard and refused to let her pull away, delving his tongue into her mouth.

"Weasley! Get off her now!" Draco cried, grabbing Ron's shoulders and pulling him back. Hermione stumbled back but Ginny caught her and hugged her. Red marks appeared on her face in the shape of Ron's hands.

"Get off me ferret!!" Ron yelled, whirling round and striking Draco round his face. The latter boy fell to the ground, making Ron laugh.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped, rushing forward to help her fiancé to his feet. He accepted her hand and rose, pushing her behind him as Ron came towards them.

"You don't care about her!"

"Stop saying that! I love her!" Draco replied.

"You don't know anything about love!" Ron screamed, lunging at the blonde haired boy who covered Hermione, shielding her from his fists. He pushed her away as he continued to punch.

"See! You don't care about her, you just pushed her!"

"Only to protect her from you!"

"She doesn't need protecting from me! I would never harm her!"

"Clearly!" Draco yelled sarcastically, indicating the marks on her face.

"That's it Malfoy…" Ron scowled and removed his wand.

"Ron no!" Harry yelled, suddenly acting sober.

"He deserves it…_Stupefy!"_

Draco ducked and the spell missed him. He was furious because of what he had done to Hermione, yet he refused to draw his wand.

"This isn't going to solve anything!" he yelled, dodging another spell.

"It'll make me happy!" Ron retorted.

Draco rolled his eyes. This slight gap in his vision allowed Ron to cast his spell with success. Hermione screamed and ran to Draco as her fiancé was flung against the wall. He landed on a glass, cutting his hand and cheek.

"RON!" Ginny screamed as she ran and grabbed the wand from Ron's hand. She slapped him hard.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he screamed in her face.

"What was it for? What was it bloody for?!" she yelled back, moving away slightly, "Look what you did to him!"

"He deserved it!" He lunged for his wand awkwardly and managed to hit Ginny in the arm instead. Harry leapt up and pulled her back.

"Don't you touch her ever again!"

"That was an accident, mate! Come on!"

"No! That's enough now Ron!"

Ron looked around the room at everyone. Draco was still on the floor, Hermione wrapped around him, and Harry was protecting a frightened Ginny. Luna also looked afraid as she moved into the crowd away from him.

They were afraid and disappointed, all of them. He stalked over to the bar, grabbed the bottle of Firewhisky and received a scowl from Madame Rosmerta. He then stalked out of the bar, yelling insults at the bleeding Slytherin.

"What the fuck was that?!" Harry said as he left.

Hermione said nothing as she helped Draco to his feet and sat him down. She stroked away the blood dipping down his cheek and he winced.

"Oh Draco! I'm so sorry!" she cried before muttering a quick healing spell. He stood up and hugged her.

"It's not your fault!" he tried to console her.

"No, you're right, it's that bloody psycho bastards' fault!"

Draco laughed at her language and continued to hug her.

"In his defence though, he was drunk so he wasn't thinking straight. Plus he'd just had a big shock!" Draco didn't know why he was defending him, but he felt he should forgive him. Clichéd as it was, Hermione had somehow taught him to forgive.

"Yer but everyone else was shocked and they didn't try to kill you did they?!"

"I don't really think he was gonna kill me 'Mione." She didn't look convinced. "Maybe he was hoping he could disfigure my beautiful face and then you would go off me!"

She laughed and he smiled.

"Vain git!" she said, poking him. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, I think we've had enough for tonight. Lets go…" Draco whispered.

Hermione agreed and turned to thank everyone for coming. After that she went to look for Harry and Ginny, only to find them in the corner, kissing. Hermione laughed.

"Clearly the hero thing works for Ginny!" Draco said.

"Yup," Hermione agreed, "it works for most girls…" She kissed his cheek again and he smiled, leading her to the door.

"Night guys!" she called to the corner, smirking. Her friends' lips broke apart and Ginny blushed.

"Night 'Mione!" Harry called.

"Happy birthday…" Ginny said, still a deep shade of red.

"Thanks for the party!"

She waved and walked out into the cold, Draco's arms around her.

"Well, that was quite a night!" Draco said as they entered the castle.

"Yep, a proposal, a fight and a birthday cake!"

"And an awesome birthday kiss!" he whispered, leaning closer.

"Well that too…"

The end of her sentence was barely audible as her lips hit his. She giggled as Draco lightly bit her bottom lip and moved his tongue around her mouth. Pulling back he moaned and grinned.

"Hermione, guess what?"

"What?"

"We're engaged…"

She giggled and pulled him to her again. She was about to kiss him when they heard footsteps behind them.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" the headmaster asked, smiling and looking down through his glasses.

"Sorry sir…" Hermione said, removing her hands from Draco's chest.

He chuckled and began to walk off, then turned and faced them again.

"Oh and…congratulations you two…!" he smiled an erudite smile and turned the corner.

"How does he know everything?!" Hermione asked.

Draco chuckled but didn't answer.

"Come on you! Bedtime!" he said, grabbing her waist and pulling her up the stairs. When they reached the Fat Lady, Hermione looked a little reluctant to enter the Common Room.

"Open it up and I'll see if he's there OK?" Draco said, knowing what she was thinking. Hermione nodded and uttered the password. The Fat Lady smiled, wished her a happy birthday and looking at Draco, said what a lovely present she had. Hermione glared and pushed the portrait open, letting Draco in.

A few seconds later he came out and told her the Common Room was empty.

"Great!" she said, letting out the breath she had been holding.

"Well goodnight then…" he whispered.

"Night Draco. And thank you for my present!" she smiled.

"You're welcome."

She smiled again and turned to enter the Common Room.

"Hermione," Draco called her back, "I can't sleep without a goodnight kiss!"

She giggled and walked towards him, closing her eyes when he pulled her closer. He brushed the hair off her face and pulled her chin up, raising her perfect lips to meet his.

He gave Hermione one of his breath taking kisses that she so loved, the ones that made her heart beat faster. He pulled back before her knees gave way under the intensity of it all.

"Mmmm…night…" he whispered into her ear.

"Goodnight."

This time he let her walk into the Common Room, watching her and trying to imagine she was walking down the aisle, walking towards him. He could place her there so easily, it just seemed right.

Meanwhile, Hermione lay down in her bed, mulling over the night's events. Tiredness soon took over her and her eyes began to close, but not before she gazed one last time at the white diamond shining on her finger.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Phew! It's finally over! It seems to have taken me ages to write this, sorry guys!

Well anyways, I hope you liked it!

As always

Holli x


	25. Arrivals

Once again, sorry it's been a while

OK guys, I know you are probably fed up with my lame excuses but I'm sorry I haven't updated in ages. I've got writers block at the mo and I've kind of lost faith in my writing...if that doesn't sound too cheesy...

But I just want to thank those of you who have stuck with this story from the beginning; it's your reviews and encouragement that have kept the fires of my imagination burning bright.

Also wanna thank (shockingly) Fish, Shannon, Charlotte and Tanya. I don't know if they will read this but nonetheless they should be recognised for what they have done. I owe them most of this story.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

IN EDIT

"Hermione…" someone whispered in a gentle voice. She didn't stir, so they tried again.

"Hermione!"

Hermione awoke to find Ginny standing over her tugging at her duvet. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Harry? Is Luna OK?!"

"Hermione," Ginny laughed, "its fine, everyone's fine, you just need to get up!"

"Oh…ok…" she said, rising out of bed. She quickly got dressed and sped down the stairs to the fire lit Common Room. Luna sat in the corner, spending more time here than in her own Common Room as usual, and Harry was on the couch, hugging Ginny. She smiled as she noticed this and the look of affection in Ginny's eyes.

"So what is it?" she enquired.

"Well…" Ginny began. Before she could finish, a popping noise and gasps of surprise sounded in the corner. Hermione looked around.

"Mum? Dad!" Hermione screamed, running to them.

"Hello love!" her Mum cried whilst her Dad hugged her.

"Oh sweet Merlin! What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Hermione appeared to be just as startled as her parents. It wasn't often that Muggle's were seen in Hogwarts, Hermione wasn't even sure if it was allowed. But at the moment she didn't care. She missed them so much. And she had so much to tell!

"Well we got an owl last night, cutest little thing you've ever seen, just flew straight through the window –" her Mum began.

"Yep it scared your mother half to death!" her Dad interrupted.

"Well, it was very early and I was still asleep! You can't blame me for being a little on edge can you!?"

"I wasn't blaming I was just saying!"

Hermione laughed at her parents. They were always having silly little fights like this but it didn't bother her. It reminded her of home, of the Muggle world. Her parents stopped talking when she continued to laugh and hugged them again.

"I'm really glad to see you both!" she smiled.

"Glad to see you too sweetie. So anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted," she glanced at her husband, "the owl flew in and dropped a letter on the bed. Clever little thing really! And it said that you had some news and we were to come right away. So," she shrugged and smiled, "here we are! Came by Portkey as she instructed!"

Hermione glanced at Ginny who blushed.

"I didn't say what the news was! I thought I would leave that to you..." she muttered. Hermione glared at her but smiled and turned back to her waiting parents.

"So..." her dad encouraged, "what's the news?!"

"Well..." she coughed and lifted her hand to her mouth, purposely flashing the glimmering rock on her finger at them.

"Oh my giddy aunt!" her mum yelled as the sparkle passed over her face. Ginny looked at Hermione puzzled and mouthed the words her mother had just exclaimed.

"Muggle saying," Harry whispered, "though very few say it, Mrs Granger is the only one I really know who says it on a regular basis..."

"Oh..." Ginny nodded, curling back into Harry's arms.

Mr and Mrs Granger continued to stare wide eyed at their daughter, mouths open in shock.

"W...what...um...how? Who? When?!" her mother yelled, shooting endless other questions at her. Hermione put her hands up.

"OK OK, one question at a time!" she calmed her mum.

"OK dah-ling, ok... so who is the lucky fella?" her father spoke this time, her mum still looking frantic. There was no doubt she was ecstatic for her daughter, though she knew little about the engagement, she was simply shocked.

"Well, his name is Draco. Draco Malfoy..." her voice trailed off as she said his surname, her surname to be. Her mum looked up immediately as recognition ran through her mind.

"Malfoy? Are you sure?"

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"No mum, I have absolutely no idea if he is or isn't my fiancé. I was much too drunk to remember!"

Mrs Granger smiled at her daughter's sarcasm. Little did she know Hermione really had been drunk!

"But I thought..." her mum continued, regaining her confused face, "I thought you hated him!?"

"Well," Hermione smiled, shrugging, "I thought he hated me! Things change I guess..."

"Are you sure? He's not forcing you into this is he? Maybe he cast a spell on you... has she been acting differently?" This was directed at Ginny, Harry and Luna, "Is there a way to tell if she's been possessed and can you undo such spells?!"

"Come on Mum! I am not possessed! I am in a perfect frame of mind and I have never been so sure of any decision before in my life. I love him..." she lowered her eyes to the ground.

Her parents still looked disbelieving, but for their daughter's sake, they smiled. Big fake smiles.

"Besides," Hermione looked up, "surely you can't hate him! You haven't even met him."

"Well," Ginny shrieked, jumping up from Harry's arms much to his displeasure, "no time like the present is there?!"

Hermione smiled and her parents exchanged a glance. Her dad sighed.

"Ok then, let's meet our future son-in-law shall we?"

"Great, just give me a second to get ready!" Hermione beamed. She ran upstairs and threw open her trunk, leaving her parents to seat themselves opposite Ginny, who had now re-entered Harry's arms.

"So then, how long have they been going out?" Mr Granger questioned. The three students looked at each other. They had no idea.

"Well...they've only been together in public for a week...or less..." Ginny stopped.

"Well more like a day or two actually..." Harry continued, "I mean it was only at the party last night that _everyone_ found out about them."

"OK..." Mr Granger muttered, his look of confusion seemed to be permanently etched on his face, "so how long have they been together..._not_ in public?"

Ginny sighed and thought about this for a while.

"A few months I think," she eventually said, "To be perfectly honest, we don't really know..."

"Oh..." Mrs Granger nodded, eyes wide in puzzlement. She decided not to press the subject of her only child's dating habits any further, it clearly being an unknown topic. She searched her mind trying to find something else to converse about when her daughter bounded down the stairs, freshly dressed and made up.

"That was quick..." Ginny muttered, taking in Hermione's make up and straightened hair. Was she the only one who noticed how Hermione had changed since being with Draco? The make up, the hair...? She didn't need all that, she was pretty enough as she was. Still, if it made her happy.

"Right then, let's go shall we?" Hermione beamed.

"Ok then, where will he be? I don't want to go to the dungeons love if you don't mind!" her mum said.

"He's not in the dungeons."

"Oh good, where is he then?"

"I think I have an idea..." Hermione said as she left the Common Room, quickly tracked by her mum, dad and the rest of the gang.

...

OK so, 25! The big 25! Sorry if it disappoints...

Will try to update sooner! Review please, you know it makes me happy :

As always

Holli x


	26. Meet the Parents

Just wanna say sorry if I left IN EDIT on top of the last chapter. Didn't mean to lol, it isn't in edit...though maybe it should be /

This chapter is dedicated to (surprisingly) Vikki Fish, whose constant death threats have forced me into continuing to write this fic. Oh what good friends I have! xD

...

Hermione and her parents stepped out onto the balcony and felt the cool chill wrap around them. The sun shone but the air was still cold, as it always was so high up. The Slytherin boy sat on his own on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower.

"So you still haven't learnt your lesson then?!" Hermione joked her greeting. Draco's head spun around and he beamed brighter than the sun as his eyes fell upon his fiancé. The smile lessened slightly when he saw her parents, but he continued to grin nonetheless.

Standing up, he bent slightly and drew his wand, muttering a few words. Something flew up from the roof beneath. It was his broomstick. He cocked his head and smirked.

"Always be prepared!" he said. Hermione laughed and walked over to him. After kissing his forehead and receiving a hug, she turned to face her parents. Gesturing with her hands, she introduced them.

(A/N: Sorry for the lack of names...I really can't remember what her parents were called!)

"Right. Hello Sir, Ma'am." Draco said, shaking their hands. Hermione couldn't help but stifle a laugh. The faces of her Mum and Dad however remained stern and questioning. "Why don't we sit down?" Draco suggested, indicating to the table the couple had sat at so many times.

"Ok then..." her mother said, moving towards the table. Instinctively, Draco leapt forward and pulled the chair out for her. Mrs Granger smiled slightly and sat down, her husband next to her. Draco then moved to the side and did the same for Hermione, but she didn't sit down.

"There's only one chair." she pointed out.

"Sit on my lap then!" Draco smirked to the slight disapproval of Hermione's parents. Undaunted by this, Draco sat and patted his knees. Hermione giggled and sat down in his lap, curling into his arms. The silence lasted for a few mere seconds before Mr. Granger spoke up.

"Ok Mr. Malfoy, let's get straight to the point shall we?" Hermione could feel herself blushing as she guessed what was coming, "What exactly do you want with my daughter?"

"Dad please..." Hermione sighed, why did she always have to guess right? She was ready to start defending Draco and was thinking of a polite way to tell her Dad to not interfere when Draco spoke.

"Well sir, I – "

"You can stop the 'sir' thing, it's not going to impress me." he interrupted.

"Dad..."

Once again she was ignored.

"And I also expect to hear the truth from you. I don't want anyone funny around my Hermione. She's precious and needs to be looked after carefully so – "

"DAD PLEASE STOP IT!" Hermione shrieked. This time her Dad took notice and stopped, glancing at his frowning wife.

"I'm sorry dear I just don't trust him!" he finally said.

"Do you trust me?!"

"Yes..."

"Well then trust my judge of character. I'm happy, Dad, as is Draco!"

Mr. Granger sighed and frowned. "Ok..." he shrugged, glancing at his wife again.

They chatted for a while, exchanging meaningless small talk yet Hermione was happy to hear that the conversation was gradually moving away from Draco and their relationship. Or so she thought...

"Have you had sex yet?"

"MOTHER!" Hermione was shocked, mortified and felt like dying. Draco was just amused.

"Just wanted to check darling!" Her mum flashed her the 'I'm so innocent' look, "I had to know if you are being safe!"

"Mother... no _safety _is needed as nothing is happening in THAT department!"

"Well I just assumed..." her mother stopped.

"Quite frankly mother I am a little insulted and appalled!"

Draco tried desperately to stifle his laughter but the corners of his mouth turned up nonetheless. He was amused by Hermione's formality and tone towards her mum.

"Why are you insulted darling?"

Hermione sighed, would her mum ever learn?!

"Because mother I want to remain chaste and virtuous until I am wed!"

Draco's mouth twitched again at Hermione's language. He adored her intelligence, usually...sometimes it was infuriating to be so close to someone who wouldn't let him win an argument or make a point without it being corrected first. As a Malfoy, and simply being Draco, he was used to being right.

Silence surrounded the table for a few minutes as Mrs. Granger continued to look at her daughter, her face expressionless. Mr. Granger began twiddling his thumbs uncomfortably.

"Well..." Draco said, breaking the silence, "now that that is settled why don't we talk about the wedding?"

Hermione immediately felt happier. Most of the night she had spent dreaming up her wedding from every aspect. The venue, the date, the cake...the dress! The husband...

"Anything you want to say about the wedding 'Mione?" Draco asked, giving her a little squeeze. She smiled and began.

"Well, I was thinking about a summer wedding, somewhere in Hogsmeade or by the Lake. Can you imagine it? The sun beating down on us, reflected by the lake. Everyone around us." She sighed a far away sigh and looked at the sky. "What do you think?" she said, forcing herself back to reality.

"We'd be the centre of attention, sounds perfect!" he smirked. Hermione laughed and added "Seriously Draco!"

"What ever you want for your day is fine with me 'Mione."

"Our day, not mine!"

"Ok." he smiled.

"What about your dress dear?" Hermione's mum asked, apparently softening up to the idea of their nuptials.

Hermione thought about it for a second.

"Are you free next week, Mum?"

"Yes..."

"Well, Diagon Alley it is then! Draco, would your mum like to join us?"

He lowered his head.

"Well, I sort of need to tell my family first..."

"Oh, I see..."

"It's not that I don't want them to know, I just don't know how they will react."

"I understand. We'll do it together!"

Her mum stiffened up. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I mean we'll tell them together Mother! Not the other...do it..."

Her mum became softer in her chair.

"Well, I guess we had better leave you to it then!" Mr. Granger said, standing up. Draco too stood, helping Hermione up after. He walked over to Hermione's dad and extended his hand. After some deliberation, he met his hand and warily shook it.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Mr. Granger."

Mr. Granger rolled his eyes at this. Draco made it sound like he had had some intention in the past to meet the father of his enemy. Oh how the years had changed his daughter and her passions!

"Well then dear, send me a note soon about next week won't you!" Hermione's mum said, hugging her daughter tightly. Mr. Granger's hug came after.

"Will do mum. Nice to see you."

"Mrs. Granger. What a pleasure it was to meet you!" Draco offered, taking her hand and lightly kissing her knuckle.

She giggled slightly before taking her husband's arm and turning.

"Quite a pleasant gentleman really!" Mrs. Granger whispered to her husband, apparently loud enough for the students to hear.

Draco turned to smile at Hermione. "Hear that? I'm a gentleman!" he gloated. His happy gaze was met by a questioning one from Hermione.

"What?" he puzzled.

"What was all that about? 'Sir', 'Mr. and Mrs.', 'What a _pleasure_'? You were meeting my Muggle parents not the bleeding Queen of England!"

Draco laughed and walked over to his fiancé, taking her hands in his.

"I know, but I wanted to make a good impression. I wouldn't be able to stand it if your parents still despised me on our wedding day!"

"They don't despise you Draco! They couldn't! You're too perfect for anyone to despise you!"

"Not arguing that!" he chorused. Hermione rolled her eyes again, as she had been doing a lot lately.

Draco looked into Hermione's eyes and smiled.

"You mean the world to me 'Mione. I just want everything to be perfect!" he looked at the floor, slightly sad at the prospect of something ruining their relationship. Hermione placed her hand under Draco's chin and raised his head.

"Hey," she began, looking into his bluey silver orbs, "it will be!" She ended her reassurance by capturing his lips. He let go of her hands and wrapped his own tightly around her neck.

"Now all we have to do is figure out how to tell daddy dearest!" Draco said, not hiding the fear or resentment in his voice. "That should be fun!"

"Remember, we'll do it together!"

"Stop teasing me woman!"

Hermione nudged his shoulder and scowled at him, giggling.

"Come on then Miss Granger," he said, tugging at her arm, "we have a wedding to plan!"

"And an engagement party!" she replied, walking through the doors with him. He stopped her and pushed her against the wall gently.

"And then there's the honeymoon..." he whispered onto her lips. She giggled and pushed him off. (A/N: Stupid girl!)

Hand in hand, they walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Draco kissed Hermione and promised to see her later. She smiled as she watched him walk away and thought of her upcoming wedding.

Her smile quickly faded as she entered the Common Room to find a certain red headed boy sat alone by the fire, watching her intently...

...

Muahahahaha! What's gonna happen I wonder?! No seriously...I don't know what will happen...yet! xD

Let me know if you have any ideas lol. All you have to do is click the little review button! You know you want to! All reviews are much appreciated, except flames. I will just laugh at you then poke you to death so ask yourselves, is it really worth it?!

Update coming soon! I hope...

As always

Holli x


	27. The Prodigal Rons Return

Ok, sorry this has taken a little longer than I expected. I know you must be getting fed up of my excuses but still...the next few chapters are sort of filler chapters...so yer...they won't be very good...xD

...

Ron shifted as she entered cautiously. He smiled at her but there was an edge to it, what that edge was however, she didn't know. She cleared her throat.

"Um, hi Ron." she offered.

"Hello Hermione." he said, standing to her level. "How are you?" Little concern was in his voice.

"Oh I'm not too bad...what about you?" Hermione was nervous.

"Fine! Never better actually 'Mione!"

"Good..." she suggested, not knowing whether or not to be happy at his zealousness.

"Are you going to sit down?" he indicated the chairs behind him and sat, waiting for her to do the same.

"So um..." she began, wary of continuing due to the anger that was now brimming within her due to his return. Despite what Ron had done to them, she decided it was probably best to keep a cool head and try not to overreact, after all, she had a reputation to uphold!

"It's OK, you don't have to say anything. I should be the one to talk!" Hermione nodded slightly and listened as he continued, his nonchalant voice tickling her annoyance. "I just want to say...I'm sorry Hermione. I was wrong to do what I did."

"No...you weren't in the wrong...! You only insulted and injured my fiancé, tried to sexually assault me and hit your own sister but hey, all in the name of _hidden_ love right?!" Her voice stayed relatively low as she tried to hold onto one tiny shred of dignity and above all else, self control. Ron seemed to be un-phased by her outcry.

"Well I wouldn't really call it sexual assault. It was a little kiss that's all!"

"A little kiss?" Hermione scoffed. "A little bloody kiss?! Look, you can still see your finger marks on my cheek Ronald!" She turned her head and, though faded, there was a visible outline of Ron's hand on her cheeks.

"Well...you shouldn't have struggled should you!?"

Hermione jeered and shook her head. "You are unbelievable..."

"Anyway, the point is Hermione, it won't happen again. I promise." He reached across and placed her hands in his, stroking them gently. "I am sorry 'Mione!"

She looked at their hands, then into his pleading eyes and sighed.

"Ok...fine. I'll accept your apology Ronald...this time!" she spat, loosening her hands and standing.

"Well like I said, there won't be a next time!"

"There'd better not be. Now, you need to apologise to Ginny and everyone else."

"I will." He smiled at her as she turned and left. "It certainly won't happen again...not now at least..." he muttered to the empty room. A large malicious sneer grew on his face and his mind churned as he conjured up his plan. A plan that would not take effect for a while...

...

Hermione lay on her bed gazing aimlessly at the velvet above her and fiddling with strands of her hair. She silently recalled the conversation she had just had and wondered whether or not to believe her old friend. Sighing, she rolled over and lay face down on her bed. A few minutes later she heard shouts coming from the Common Room.

"Come on mate I didn't mean it!" Ron screamed. Upon hearing this Hermione guessed that Harry and Ginny were back. She remained on her bed for a little while, listening to the profanities spewing from Harry's mouth. It was when Ron retaliated that Hermione decided she should help her friends.

The young witch entered the Common Room to find Ginny curled in a chair, her arms around her knees and her eyebrows knitted in a frown. Harry stood in front of her, protecting her from her brother who stood across the room.

"What is going on in here?!" she asked, though little explanation was needed. Clearly Harry hadn't taken Ron's return all that well. Ron turned to her and his frown deepened.

"Harry just started yelling at me for no reason!" he shouted, his voice lined with false outrage.

"No reason?!" Harry yelled, jumping forward and shortening the gap between them to a few inches. Hermione stepped up and put her arm on his shoulder to hold him back.

"Now let's just calm it down a bit shall we?!" Hermione said, managing to keep a cool head this time.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron but retreated nonetheless back to Ginny.

"Let's discuss what's bothering us." Hermione continued, sitting everyone down.

"Oh come on Hermione, this is no time for discussion! We all know perfectly well what is bothering us!" Harry cried.

Hermione simply sighed and turned to face Ron. "Well...?" she questioned.

"I apologized, I did! To both of them!"

Her inquiring gaze returned to Harry and she could see herself playing mediator for most of the evening. "Did he?"

"Well yes..." Harry sighed, "...but he didn't really mean it!"

"How do you know?!" Ron shouted.

"Boys!" Hermione yelled over the top of them, standing and raising her hands. "Just, cool it!"

"Yer this isn't solving anything!" Ginny said, speaking for the first time that evening.

"She's right. You both have to put this past you. Ron apologized and assured me that it won't happen again and for the sake of our friendship..." she turned to face Ron, "...I have decided to trust him!"

Ron straightened in his chair and a pleased – for – himself look spread across his face. Harry looked like he was about to slap him.

"Alright just because Hermione values your friendship doesn't mean we are all going to forgive you OK!?" He returned to sit next to Ginny and averted Ron's gaze. He seemed to calm down a bit and Hermione grinned to herself, please that the fight was over. Or so she thought.

"Maybe I don't want your forgiveness anyway!" Ron muttered, a little too loudly, under his breath.

"Well maybe I don't want your friendship!" Harry retaliated.

"Harry you don't mean that." Hermione said, her voice breaking slightly at the thought of 'The Golden Trio' breaking up.

Harry just shook his head and scoffed. "I'm not sure anymore..." was all he said before taking Ginny's hand and leaving the Common Room.

Hermione was left alone with Ron. She wasn't sure if the look on his face was one of fear, anger or sadness but all she knew is that she felt all three.

There gaze met and this time she was sure she saw sadness in his eyes.

"I really am sorry Hermione..." It came out as a low hoarse whisper and Hermione strained to hear it as Ron lowered his head. He raised his hand to his cheek as if to wipe away a tear and sniffed.

Hermione, being Hermione, couldn't help herself and she ran to his side, hugging him as soon as she got there.

"I forgive you Ron, it'll be alright soon. Just give them time, OK?" She felt him nod onto her chest and suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable about how she had hugged him. She stood back and watched him wipe his cheek again.

"Right," she began, feeling her stomach rumble, "I'm just going to pop up to the dorm and get changed and then we'll go grab some lunch. How's that?"

Ron smiled weakly and nodded, his hand brushing yet another tear off his cheek.

"Good!" Hermione nodded and ran up the stairs.

Ron remained seated in his chair, his eyes suddenly dry and his mouth curled up into a narrow smile. By this time, Hermione was too far up the stairs to hear the wicked chortle that escaped Ron's tight lips.

...

Ok guys so there you go, I finally updated! I would love to say I hope it was worth the wait but I know it wasn't really. Please review anyway and I will _try_ to update soon :)

God Bless You  
Holli x


	28. Legimency

I am going to ask you all very nicely to review this chapter as I am desperate to reach the 100 review mark. I know we can do it guys, come on, review! Please bats eyelashes :)

Writing in **bold **is Draco using Legimency. And just so you know, I don't know a lot about this spell so if something isn't right with it, sorry! :)

...

A week had passed since Ron's return and everyone seemed to be getting along OK - everyone except Harry and Ron. They weren't talking anymore and although this meant that she had to do most of the talking, Hermione was glad that they were no longer shouting.

She knew that they would sort themselves out soon so she wasn't worrying about them.

"Besides I have enough to think about, what with it being - "

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ginny and Lavender entered the girls' dorm, squealing.

"I can't believe it's your engagement party tonight! I'm so excited!!" Ginny yelled.

"Calm down Gin, don't you think you should leave it to Hermione to be excited?!" Lavender said.

"Oh well, I..." Ginny sighed, "...sorry 'Mione."

"Don't worry Gin, you can be excited too!" she giggled, giving her old friend a pat on the head in a mock condescending manner. Ginny ducked from under it and rolled her eyes.

"Yer thanks. So what are you wearing?"

"Ah, you'll have to wait and see!" Hermione teased, sitting on her bed.

"Oh come on. We have to check it's OK now don't we?!"

Hermione thought about this for a while. "Be here at 6.30pm," she started, remembering that the party was at 7, "that gives me enough time to change if you hate it!" she smiled.

"Great. See you then!" Lavender said.

"We'll be in the boys' dorm if you need us 'Mione." Ginny chirped, her excitement evidently growing as the hour of the party grew near. The two girls turned and retreated from the dormitory, leaving Hermione to get ready in peace. The boys had gotten ready earlier, leaving their dorm free for the girls to use, thankfully.

Hermione grabbed her book and continued to read, filling her head with thoughts of House Elves and how to give them the rights they deserved.

"Poor little things..." she sighed to herself.

**Not everyone treats them that badly.**

Hermione jumped up, her book dropping to the floor with a surprisingly loud thud as the voice entered her head. Ginny came running in, her hair half styled, to check if she was alright.

"We heard a big bang, thought you were being attacked or something!"

"No Gin, everything's fine." Hermione laughed at her part dishevelled friend as she bent down to pick up the leather bound library book.

"Hmph, last time I worry about you then!" she stormed out of the room in a mock huff, causing Hermione to laugh again.

**I worry about Red sometimes...**

"What are you doing in my head?!" she whispered.

**I was bored and missed you. Thought I'd say hi! **Hermione smiled. **I can go if you want me to. **

"No!" Hermione said quickly.

**Didn't think so. Just think your thoughts from now on 'Mione so you don't have another little visit from Red.**

"Her name is Ginny!" She thought it this time.

**Old habits die hard! Besides, its tradition that I call her Red. It'll be weird if I just stop.**

"Somehow I don't think she'll mind!"

**I'll see. Excited?**

"No, dreading it." she thought, a smile creeping across her face.

**What? Why?!**

"Formally announcing I'm engaged to you! Please, it's my worst nightmare!"

**Ok I don't believe you. You're joking.**

"Am I?"

**You'd better be!**

"Fine, I'm joking then."

**I knew it.**

"Are you excited?"

**Yes. **Hermione smiled. **There will be alcohol, of course I am excited. **Her smile diminished.

"Now that's just mean!"

**You did it to me!**

"Yer but you knew I was joking."

**Oh and you didn't know I was?!**

Hermione sighed.

**I'm sorry. I can't wait to see you and of course I am excited. **

"About the alcohol or seeing me?"

**Little bit of both but mainly seeing you.**

Hermione giggled. "Then you had better leave me so I can get ready!" she said, glancing at the clock that read 5.30.

**Do I have to go? **His tone became sad.

"Yes!"

**Fine, see you later. I love you. **He sighed and she felt him leave her mind. She suddenly felt very alone.

"Love you too..." she whispered to herself. It was then that she realised that she had never actually said the words 'I love you' to his face. He knew it obviously, but she felt odd not having said it, when he had so often.

After putting her book back into her trunk, she ran to the bathroom and got in the shower. When she came out, she used her wand to dry her hair, ready to be styled later by Lavender.

She got out her mother's make up box again and decided on a shimmering white eyeshadow and faint pink blusher, not that she really needed it.

Then, she got out her new dress and hung it up on the bed next to her so that she could admire it for a second. In her opinion it was the perfect dress, classy and smart but not too formal. She loved it.

Carefully so that she didn't smudge her make up, she slipped on the dress and did it up, tightening the ribbon slightly so it hugged her figure. Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at the dress, admiring it a little longer.

The puffball shape at the bottom rose to just above her knees, showing off her legs and the white ribbon pulled the dress in at the waist, revealing her figure. The darkness of the black fabric contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

(A/N: This is the dress: g-ec2./images/I/41tELWTboRL.jpg -- not sure if that will work but still :))

Before she had a chance to put her shoes on, Ginny and Lavender came bursting in, Luna entering after them. All three of them stood in the doorway, gazing in awe at the Gryffindor girl that stood before them.

"'Mione you look beautiful!" Ginny stepped forward to touch the fabric of the dress.

"Yer, that dress is perfect!" Lavender said as she did the same.

Luna stepped forward and looked at the other two, the three girls exchanging a smile. Luna nodded.

"Hermione, we got you a present to say congratulations." Ginny said as Luna produced a box from behind her back.

"Oh you really didn't need to do that guys!" she cried, hugging her three best girlfriends. Luna handed her the box and Hermione placed it on the bed. She removed the lid and folded back the tissue paper, revealing a brand new pair of shining black stilettos.

"Oh Merlin they're gorgeous!" she exclaimed as she removed them from their wrapping and placed them on her feet. She ran over to the mirror again and looked down at the shoes.

"Thank you so much!" she hugged them again.

"You're welcome." Ginny said, "Now, about your hair..."

Hermione nodded. "I wasn't sure what to do with it."

"Leave it to me." Lavender said, stepping forward and sitting Hermione down on the bed.

"Now then..." she got out her wand, her hairbrush and some slides and began to fiddle with Hermione's hair. Within two minutes she was done and Hermione found herself in front of the mirror again.

Lavender had made her hair curly, controlled curly, and had clipped a few pieces back with hair slides.

"What do you think?" Lavender pondered.

"Love it."

"Good. Is everyone ready then?" she asked, looking at her other friends. "We had better get going."

With a final twist in front of the mirror, Hermione left the dormitory with her friends. Together, they made their way up to the seventh floor and towards the Room of Requirement.

...

Pretty quick update :) Next chapter: the engagement party.

Please review and I will give you...whatever you want! But not Harry or Draco, they are mine! I may loan them to you though if you give me a nice review :) full of smileys :) cos smileys are good :)

God Bless You  
Holli x


	29. Engagement Party

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys; hopefully I can get up to 100 by the time this story finishes. Hint hint...

I realise the link I put in the last chapter doesn't work so I will put it on my profile soon, look out for it :P

By the way, is it Legimency or Legilimency? Because I have been told both and both have come up on Google...any ideas? Let me know, cheers. Cookies for those who get it right :)

...

By the time they arrived at the Room of Requirement everyone was already there and waiting for them. A house elf stood guard outside the door, making sure that only those on the guest list entered. When he saw Hermione and her friends coming, he pulled open the door and bowed to Hermione. She made sure she thanked him properly.

The breath caught in her throat as she entered the Come and Go Room. Elaborately decorated, just as she had wanted it, a long marble bar ran down one side of the room and tables and chairs were dotted along the other. The space in the middle she assumed was for dancing and general mingling.

Hermione could see the house elves from the kitchen running around the floor holding mini trays of appetisers. She smiled at one of them as they came running up to her and she realised it was Dobby.

"Good evening Miss. Can I get you anything Miss? After all I'm here to serve you Miss." Dobby grinned.

"No thank you Dobby, I'm fine." She matched his grin. "You look very smart." she added, noticing his bow tie and slightly dirty jacket. He appeared to blush.

"Thank you Miss. Dobby tries his best Miss! Dobby always tries his best!"

"Well have fun Dobby, don't work too much." she smiled, patting him on the head. Beside her Ginny and Lavender looked at each other, rolling their eyes.

"Thank you Miss. Call me if you need me Miss." With that he plodded away, back into the crowd of students, professors and guests.

**You look beautiful. **

Hermione stifled her jump this time as Draco entered her mind. She blushed slightly, not that it could be seen beneath the pink colour she had put there earlier, and looked around the room for the source of the voice. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you?" she thought.

**Where do you think I am!?**

She laughed out loud, realising she shouldn't have after Ginny nudged her and raised her eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Hermione started, "I'm going to go...mingle. I'll see you later OK?"

"OK," Ginny said, not seeming to care whether Hermione was with her or not, "I wonder where Harry is..." she muttered to herself as she walked off.

"Nothing going on between them is there!" Lavender laughed as Ginny spotted Harry and ran up to him.

"No, nothing at all!" Hermione shook her head at the sight of two of her best friends hugging. She smirked at Lavender and Luna before walking over to the bar.

"Would you stay out of my head!" she whispered into the ear of the blonde haired Slytherin at the bar. He swivelled around on his bar stool and smiled at her.

"But I like it in there. I can understand you that way!"

"Oh haha!" she smirked, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the stool.

"Ooo Miss Granger!" he laughed as she pulled him into her arms.

"Shut up and hug me." Draco did just that.

"Hey Draco, Granger." Blaise nodded at them as he sat down. "Join me for a drink?"

"Of course!" Draco smiled and sat back down, pulling out the stool beside him for Hermione. She pushed it back in again.

"I'll come back later. Just gonna go say hi to Harry and Ron...and remind Ginny to breathe!" she sighed as she saw Ginny snogging Harry. Draco followed her gaze.

"Gotta hand it to Red, she seems to know what she's doing!" Draco said, sounding surprised.

Hermione hit him. "That doesn't concern you!"

"I never said it did, I was merely stating that... that... I'm happy for Potty."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Draco continued to stare but returned his gaze to Hermione after Blaise nudged him.

"Besides, you can do better." he smirked at her.

Hermione considered this for a moment. "Ok," she finally said, "you're forgiven!"

She walked away and crept up behind Ginny, poking her in the side so that she jumped up and headbutted Harry in the nose.

"Ow!" he cursed, rubbing his nose. Hermione withdrew her wand and flicked it at Harry, apologising as she did so.

"Sorry, I just wanted to remind Ginny that oxygen is needed for the brain to continue functioning."

Ginny scowled at her and turned back to Harry, picking up where she left off before she was interrupted. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled at Ron.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"Oh yer, tons!" he scoffed, glancing at Harry and Ginny. Hermione patted him on the shoulder.

"Why don't you go and talk to Luna and Lavender then?" Hermione suggested. She was shocked that Ron had stayed by Harry all this time and was still alive and unhexed.

"Ok." he shrugged, stalking off to where Luna, Lavender and the Patil twins were sat.

-- At the bar --

"So, looking forward to your upcoming nuptials, mate?" Blaise prodded his friend.

"Yer, course I am!" Draco smiled at the thought.

"One problem..."

"...?"

"Your parents."

"Hmm, I was thinking about that the other day when I met Hermione's parents. She said we would tell them together but I still don't know how they are going to react. It's not exactly a secret how my father feels about Muggle borns is it!"

"Well, what's the worst that could happen eh?"

Draco didn't answer, he didn't want to think about it anymore. Instead he ordered another drink.

"And would Miss be wanting anything yet Sir?" Dobby crept up behind the bar.

Draco thought about this for a while and decided that Hermione should have a drink, whether she wanted one or not.

"What cocktails do you have Dobby?"

The house elf handed him a list, which he quickly scanned, a huge smile on his face.

"She'll have a Screaming Orgasm please Dobby."

Dobby said nothing and thought nothing of it, he just went away and made the drink.

"Isn't that supposed to come after the wedding?" Blaise smirked.

"Little preview never hurt anyone!" Draco smiled, downing his new glass of Firewhiskey and sliding it back down the bar.

The two Slytherin boys laughed and ordered another round of drinks, the conversation quickly coming back to the wedding.

"On that note, I've been thinking. Do you wanna be my best man?" Draco turned to face Blaise.

"Sure, thanks mate." He extended his hand and Draco shook it, glad that this was one part of the wedding sorted out.

-- At the tables --

Hermione smiled as Dobby came running up to her, a tray of drinks in his hand. He picked one up and passed it to her.

"From Mister Malfoy Miss, for you Miss."

Hermione took the drink and sniffed it, swirling it around in the glass. "What is it Dobby?" she questioned the elf.

Dobby shifted on his feet and beckoned for Hermione to lean down to his level. Standing on tiptoes, he whispered in her ear what the drink was.

Hermione sat back up and looked towards the bar, meeting Draco's gaze. He smiled and raised his glass to her, waiting for her to do the same. She picked up her cocktail and looked at it for a second, swirling it once or twice more.

Throwing her head back, Hermione lifted the glass to her lips and downed it in one, raising it to a shocked Draco once she had finished. A smile crept across her lips and she turned back to Ginny, continuing her conversation.

"So Gin, you're my best friend, right?"

"Right..." Ginny stated, not quite understanding where this conversation was leading.

"Will you be my maid of honour?"

Ginny squealed, jumping up and running to hug Hermione, who nearly fell off her chair at the force of her friends hug.

"Am I to take that as a yes?" Hermione tried to say through Ginny's arms.

"Yes! Of course!"

Hermione sighed as the youngest Weasley let go of her, returning to her chair and telling Harry what had just happened.

**I assume Red agreed then?**

Hermione smiled as Draco entered her mind for the third time that evening.

"Yes, did Blaise?"

**Yup. So that's sorted out then. Did you enjoy your Orgasm?**

Hermione tried to hide her smile. "Yes I did, thank you."

**You're welcome. **Draco smirked. **Want another?**

"Nope!" Hermione thought defiantly.

**You'll come around. Come over here.**

"I'm quite comfy here thank you."

**Granger. Here. Now. **

Hermione smiled and began walking towards to bar. She sat down on the stool beside him.

"Yes? Can I help you?!"

Draco just smirked and leaned forward to kiss her. After that he turned back to Blaise and continued his conversation.

"Was that it?" Hermione demanded, grabbing the bottom of Draco's stool and swivelling him around to face her. Draco raised his eyebrow at her and smiled.

"Did I come all the way over here just for a kiss?!"

"Is that a complaint about my kisses?"

"No but I - " she was cut off as Draco kissed her again.

"Good!" he said, turning back to a laughing Blaise. Hermione kissed the back of his head and walked back to her table, 'congratulations' flying at her from random students as she crossed the floor. She sat down and questioned Harry as to Ginny's whereabouts. He just smiled at her and pointed to the front of the room where a stage and a microphone had materialised.

Ginny stood before it, Blaise soon appearing by her side. Everyone on the floor turned to face them and went quiet.

"As Hermione's maid of honour, I would just like to say congratulations to the happy couple!" Ginny started before Blaise took over.

"And as Draco's best man, I would like to say the same!" he sang, raising his glass. "To Hermione and Draco!"

"Yes, to Hermione and Draco indeed..." came a snide voice from the back of the room. Every face whirled around to meet the stern gaze of Lucius Malfoy and the room went silent again. Hermione looked over to see Draco's worried face.

"It'll be alright," she thought, "don't worry!" She hoped he had heard her but she soon realised that he had left her mind by this point.

"Draco!" Lucius yelled, beckoning his son to him.

Draco stood at his father's command and began to walk towards him. Hermione also stood and walked to his side. Lucius raised his hand.

"Just Draco." he yelled in a monotone voice. Narcissa Malfoy whispered into her husband's ear and he sighed. "Fine." he ushered to them again.

As they left the Room of Requirements, Hermione turned back and prompted Ginny to continue with the party. She heard the music begin again as the door closed behind them. It was then that she noticed the House Elf that had been guarding the door was unconscious on the floor. The four of them stood in silence in the deserted corridor.

"You are not marrying a Mudblood!" Lucius suddenly said, not even bothering to acknowledge Hermione.

"I can marry whomever I want to marry!" Draco sneered at his father. "There is nothing wrong with Muggle borns, they are no worse than us and I certainly am not going to let lineage come between me and the woman I love!"

Hermione blushed and tried her best not to smile at Draco's words. Not that it mattered, no-one was looking at her anyway. Lucius and Draco were glaring at each other and Narcissa was gazing at the floor, clearly uncomfortable with her husband's reaction.

"How did you find out anyway?"

"We received an owl from someone telling us of your plans for...marriage..." he said, struggling with the last word.

"Who was it from?" Draco pondered.

"That is not important! What I want to know is, are you under some kind of spell?!"

At this Narcissa raised her head and looked at her husband, slightly annoyed at what he had said.

"Just ignore your father dear, what I really want to know is why didn't you tell us yourself?" Narcissa asked in a calm and somewhat caring voice. Draco just looked from his mother, to his father and back again.

"Because I knew this would happen!" Draco cried. Narcissa simply nodded.

"Well what did you expect!? I will not have my son staining our perfect blood line with the likes of a Mudblood!"

"Stop talking about Hermione as if she is a piece of dirt!" Hermione looked at the ground, avoiding the gaze that Lucius now aimed at her.

"She _is_ a piece of dirt Draco and if you marry her then you can stop calling yourself a Malfoy. We will take away your inheritance and you can find somewhere else to live! You will never ever hear from us again, do you understand me?!" Lucius screamed. Hermione was sure this would be heard inside the Room of Requirements but she couldn't care less. She was worried about Draco.

His grip on her hand had tightened.

Lucius growled as he noticed this and spat at his son's feet. "We're through here!"

With that, he stalked off around the corner, Narcissa following him at her own pace. His curses and profanities could still be heard as he rounded the corner and began to descend the stairs.

Beside her, Draco sank to the floor and Hermione suddenly felt ashamed. She had done nothing wrong but her stupid heritage was causing problems once again.

"Draco, I'm sorry..." she began, pausing to see if he was listening to her, "...you don't have to marry me."

This caused him to look up at her, a mixture of shock and panic in his eyes. "No, no don't say that. This doesn't change anything!" he tried to put on a brave face but Hermione could see he was hurting.

"It changes everything!" she struggled to say, a lump forming in her throat. "Your family means a lot to you."

"But you mean more!" he said before she had even finished. "I can lose my family, I can live without them and my inheritance..." The last part she knew was hard for him to say. "But you...I can't live without you Hermione!"

She slid down beside him and put her arm around him.

"You won't have to live without me. But maybe we just shouldn't get married yet..." she stifled a sob, trying to stay strong for him.

"No! We have to get married. Unless... do you not want to marry me if I have no money?"

Hermione let out a small laugh. "That's ridiculous. I don't want your money Draco, I want you!"

"Good," he smiled, finally, "because that's all you've got!"

"That's all I need." she whispered, kissing his forehead. They sat there for a while in silence, Hermione stroking Draco's hair, her arm around him as he stared blankly at the wall opposite.

All of a sudden, footsteps filled the silence and Narcissa Malfoy turned the corner, walking over to them again. She leaned against the wall opposite and smiled.

"You two look very cute together."

"Thanks..." Draco muttered, slightly confused.

"I have spoken to your father and he's come around slightly." Draco sat up straighter. "He still doesn't want to see you, but he won't disinherit you. I won't let him." She looked at the floor and her tone changed. "I told him I would leave him if he did..."

Draco stood up and went to hug his mother.

"Why would you leave him?" he whispered.

"Because I want you to be happy. And I refuse to be with someone who doesn't want that as well. It isn't right."

"Thank you mother." He hugged her once again, before she turned to Hermione.

"Take care of him for me!" she smiled at her.

"I will." Hermione replied. Narcissa nodded to her and turned to walk away. She got about halfway down the corridor when Hermione caught up with her.

"Mrs Malfoy!" she cried, touching her arm.

"Please, call me Narcissa."

"Ok," Hermione smiled, "Narcissa, I was wondering, would you like to come wedding dress shopping with me and my mother next week?"

"Would you really want me there?"

"I would love it if you came." Hermione smiled, she wasn't lying.

"It'd be my pleasure then. Owl me the times and dates."

"I will." Narcissa hugged her as she left and she felt touched. That was two Malfoys she knew who weren't afraid to hug a Mudblood. She skipped back to Draco.

"Right, shall we continue with the party?"

"Sure. What did you ask my mother?" he asked as they walked back to the Come and Go room.

"If she wanted to come dress shopping."

Draco stopped walking and pulled a puzzled Hermione back to him.

"You are amazing!" he whispered before kissing her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and kept her face close to his once the kiss had ended.

"Draco..." she whispered into his ear, "I love you..."

She felt her heart beat faster as she said it properly for the first time. Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, allowing her to feel that his pulse was also racing.

"I love you too!" he smiled, kissing her again, more passionately this time. He bent her backwards, moving her into a Hollywood style kiss. (A/N: Oh you all know the kind I mean!)

When she rose to her normal level again she giggled.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she was laughing. She shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm just...happy!"

He smiled. "I'm happy too."

Hand in hand, they walked back to the party, thinking about their future.

...

A/N: Long chapter. Hope you liked it, sorry if you didn't, ending was a bit sucky but never mind.

Anyway, next chapter, wedding dress shopping, yay! :D Update may be a little longer this time. Sorry. D:

Some smiley reviews may cheer me up and make me update quicker though xD

God Bless You  
Holli x


	30. Wedding Shopping

A/N: Wooo. This has been fun. I just want to thank everyone who has stuck by this story from the very beginning, those of you who reviewed, you are wonderful :)

I know a lot of people don't read the authors notes but please read the one at the end, tis important! :)

...

Hermione sent an owl to her mother and Narcissa the next week asking them if they were free to go dress shopping on Wednesday. They both quickly replied that they were. She was very excited but, naturally, Ginny was ecstatic.

"I just can't believe I'm your maid of honour!" she squealed for the eleventh time that morning.

"Well you are!" Hermione sighed, wondering how long this would continue. Luckily by the time Wednesday came around, she had calmed down a bit.

She, Ginny, Lavender and Luna made their way into London early Wednesday morning. For Hermione's mothers sake they had decided it would be best to shop in Muggle London, plus it's not as if Diagon Alley was full of Bridal Shops. When they arrived at the cafe her mother was already there.

"Morning ladies!" she chirped, running up to them. Clearly she was going to be just as bad as Ginny.

"Hey Mum." Hermione said, hugging her.

"Right then, where to first?" she asked, wanting to get started as soon as possible.

"Actually, we need to wait for someone else..." Hermione began. Only Draco knew that Narcissa had been invited. Her friends looked at her puzzled. "Narcissa."

"You invited her?" Ginny questioned. Hermione simply nodded.

"I don't mind her being here; I just wouldn't have thought she would have wanted to come to Muggle London!"

"Well, evidently she doesn't mind Muggles." Hermione smiled.

The little group grabbed a table outside the cafe and ordered coffee.

"So, have you made anymore plans yet?" Hermione's mother asked.

"We have a date, that's all."

Mrs. Granger clapped her hands. "When is it?"

"25th April." Hermione whispered, a big smile creeping across her face.

Before anyone could respond, Narcissa Malfoy appeared before them, sunglasses covering her eyes and a big smile covering her face. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"That's OK, thanks for coming." Hermione smiled, handing her a cup of coffee.

The six of them sat making small talk for a few minutes while everyone drank their coffee. When they had all finished, Mrs. Granger asked Hermione where they were going first.

"Um...I'm not sure really, I don't know where the best dresses are."

"Why don't I take you to the shop I bought my wedding dress from?" Hermione smiled and nodded, liking the idea of buying her wedding dress from the same shop her mum bought hers.

As they made their way down the high street, the four students walked behind the two adults, discussing what kind of dresses they would like. For a while Narcissa and Mrs. Granger walked in silence, neither really knowing what to say.

"So, you are a Muggle?" Narcissa questioned, seeing this as their only conversation starter.

"Yes..." Mrs. Granger said, unsure of what Narcissa was doing.

"Nice to meet you." she smiled and extended her hand, waiting for Mrs. Granger to take it. She did, smiling as well, and the conversation began to flow.

Within 5 minutes they were standing outside of a little bridal shop hidden away down one of the side streets. Hermione gazed through the window at the dresses and knew that her dress was in there.

As they entered, she told Ginny, Luna and Lavender, her other bridesmaids, that their dresses had to match but they could pick it themselves. So the three of them ran off to the side of the shop that had the bridesmaids dresses whilst Hermione, her mother and Narcissa stayed by the wedding gowns.

**Having fun?**

Hermione grinned as she heard Draco's voice. It had only been a few hours since she had last spoken to him yet she was beginning to miss his enchanting tone.

**I have an enchanting tone?**

"Ok, talk to me but don't read thoughts that aren't directed at you!" she thought-scolded him.

**But you think I have an enchanting tone?**

"I'm ignoring you now."

**Fine, pretend I'm not here. **

Hermione was just about to carry on scanning the dress racks with a clear mind when Draco began to hum. She sighed.

"That so isn't annoying!" she thought sarcastically.

**I thought you were ignoring me.**

"You are so..."

**Lovely? Wonderful? Handsome? Kind? Charming?**

"Immature."

**Would you love me if I were anything but what I am?!**

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about or are you just in my mind to annoy me so that I get distracted and buy a hideous dress?"

**Why would I want you to buy a hideous dress?**

"Because that way you would look better than me!" she smirked.

Draco laughed. **You will look better than me in anything you wear Hermione!**

"So you aren't here to distract me, what are you here for?" _Not that I mind you being here... _she thought to herself.

**Good, because I'm not going!**

"Stop reading my other thoughts and answer my question!"

**I wanted to ask you about a theme. **

"A theme? For the wedding?"

**Yes, had you thought about one?**

"Not really, no. You?"

**Well actually, I was thinking about a black and white theme. I thought it might look classy. **

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I like that idea."

**Good. I'll leave you to it then. **Draco left her mind just as the sales woman came over.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?!" she chirped, flashing her teeth in the widest grin Hermione had ever seen.

"I think we are OK thank you."

"OK! Well I'll be right over there if you need me!" she flashed her teeth again and ran to the other side of the room, blinding another set of customers with her smile.

"I'm scared to ask for assistance now!" Hermione laughed. Her mother walked to her side.

"Found anything yet?"

"No, not yet." Hermione sighed. "This could take forever!"

"When you find the right dress you'll know!" Narcissa pitched in. Mrs. Granger nodded in agreement before looking through the racks a second time.

Hermione walked over to the other side of the store to see how her bridesmaids were doing. All three of them were sitting down, each with a dress in hand, looking thoroughly confused.

"Oh good, Hermione we need your help!" Ginny stated, jumping up from her seat. The other two did the same.

"We picked out three dresses and now we can't decide one which we want." Lavender moped, a sad expression crawling across her face.

"Ok, let's see them then."

The three girls ran into the dressing room, Ginny coming out a few minutes later. She wore an off the shoulder wrap around dress that touched the floor. It was beautiful but immediately Hermione saw something wrong with it. It was teal.

She shook her head and Ginny beamed at her.

"I didn't like this one too much!" she whispered, playing with a strand of her hair and putting it next to the dress to compare the colours. Hermione laughed, not bothering to tell Ginny that it wasn't the clashing colours that put her off the dress. It was the fact that teal wouldn't fit in with the black and white theme.

Ginny retreated back into the dressing room, Luna coming out in a new dress to take her place. She had to admit that Luna looked stunning in the dress. It was a floor length spaghetti strap dress, simple and plain but the magnificent sapphire colour brought out the colour in Luna's eyes and Hermione knew this was why she had picked it.

Sadly though, Hermione shook her head again and Luna walked back to the dressing room, sulking slightly.

Lavender came out and Hermione smiled. The dress was black. It was held up by off the shoulder straps and the sleek fabric became slightly ruffled as it descended into a mermaid tail at the bottom.

(A/N: I'm sorry if these sound a bit sucky, there was no dress that these were based on, I made them up and I had no idea how to describe them!)

As the other two were changed, they came out and stood next to Hermione as she nodded.

"That's the one!" she cried, running up to hug Lavender. Luna and Ginny also looked pleased, despite their dresses being shot down. It was then that Hermione told them about the theme. They all agreed it sounded perfect. She left them to find the dress in their sizes and returned to her side of the shop.

On the way back, she noticed a mannequin, slightly hidden behind one of the racks. She went over to it and parted the dresses in front so that she could see the one it was wearing. She gasped, causing Mrs. Granger and Narcissa to come over to her.

They beckoned over the sales woman, who was more than happy to help get the dress off of the mannequin and give it to Hermione. She quickly went and changed into it.

Her three bridesmaids, Narcissa and Mrs. Granger all stopped what they were doing and gathered around as she emerged, mouths open in awe.

She wore an ivory white strapless dress that descended to the floor. The top half was a wrap around bodice with delicate beading around the chest and back, whilst the bottom was split into two layers, creating a long train behind her. The beadwork also decorated parts of the layers.

"Oh you look beautiful!" the sales woman squeaked, running up to her. She placed a fascinator in Hermione's hair and pulled the veil that went with it over her face. The same colour beads that were on the dress were dotted around the fine mesh of the veil, making Hermione's vision somewhat impaired.

She lifted the bottom of her dress and shuffled around to look in the mirror. Ginny came running up behind her and lifted her veil so that she could see herself properly.

"You really do look beautiful! I'd hug you but I don't want to ruin the dress!" she said, running back down to join her fellow bridesmaids.

Hermione turned to face her mum, who had tears in her eyes.

"This is the one isn't it!?" she asked. Her mum just nodded, seemingly speechless.

She went back into the dressing room and took it off, handing it carefully to the sales woman when she came out, along with her money. Well, Draco's money. He had made her take it last night, despite her best efforts to tell him she was paying for it.

When all the dresses had been bought, they returned to the cafe they had sat in earlier.

"Draco and I made some more plans." Hermione said, turning to her mother and Narcissa.

"Oh?" her mother prompted.

"We're having a black and white theme."

"Oh that will be lovely! I guess I'll have to find a black dress then yes?"

"Well you can be in black or white. Only me, Draco, the bridesmaids and the groomsmen have set colours. Guests can wear either."

"Ok, I'll let you know when I find one."

"I will too." Narcissa said. Hermione smiled and returned to her coffee. Once they had all finished, they said their goodbyes and went different ways, the four students returning to Hogwarts.

On the way back to the Common Room, she saw Draco walking towards her. She carefully gave her dress to Ginny, who ran down an empty corridor with it, Luna and Lavender following her. Draco stared after them.

"Something I said?" he asked.

"No, they have my dress. I couldn't let you see it now, could I?!"

"Ah, so you got one then?"

"Yes I did. Thank you." she muttered before kissing him.

"You're welcome. Is it as beautiful as you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're such a cliché!"

"Um...thank you?" he pondered. Hermione just laughed and kissed him again.

"Come on," she said, pulling on his arm, "we have some planning to do!"

"Ah yes, planning..." he elongated the last words whilst winking at her. She hit his arm.

"I mean it, we need to plan! We have so much to sort out. We have the wedding cake, the location, the flowers, the guest list..."

Draco looked across to her and could see her mind whirring as she began to count something unknown on her fingers.

"You're going to be high maintenance for a while aren't you..."

"Haven't I always been?"

"Fair point." He sighed and pulled her in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. "Come on then, better get planning!"

...

A/N: **It's over.**

**That's it!**

**The end!**

**Fin!**

Well it's not the end...it's the end of this story but **THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL**!! So, you all have to add me to your **Author Alert** lists so you know when I update! I will write a oneshot of their wedding and then I will start the sequel so, like I said, if you want to read it then add me to your Author Alert list. xD

By the way, I will be uploading the link of Hermione's engagement party dress and wedding dress on my profile soon so look out for them!

Thanks again to all of you who stuck by this story, I can't thank you enough. Big thanks goes out to **xxxxCrazyChickxxxx** who told me not to give up and an even bigger thanks goes out to **Vikki Fish** for just... well just being Fish! Couldn't have done it without her :P

God Bless You All and I hope to hear from you soon!  
Holli x


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